A Long Lost Uchiha
by dustori
Summary: When the Uchiha Massacre happened, there was only one survivor, Sasuke Uchiha, but he disappeared and was never heard from again. Four years has passed and there are rumors that a boy who resembles the missing Uchiha was found. Now Team 7 is on the missio
1. A Dream and a New Life

**AN: **Yeah, I was going to wait until I finished Control Is Everything before I put this fanfic up, but I couldn't wait. This is slightly AU, but some of the context is still the same. Also, I'm planning on making this a boyXboy (more like a manXboy relationship), but I'm still trying to make it work so I don't really know if a relationship could be possible right now, but if you guys like the idea, maybe you can help me out in making a relationship work. You know like give me some ideas once you have read the fanfic and you get how the whole plot works out by the upcoming chapters.

Oh, the relationship will be between Kakashi and Sasuke (flutter eyes and sigh desirably).

Anyway, the massacre, I changed it a bit (more like alot) so it will work with the fanfic. You'll know when you read it. Just to let you know the rating may change after the plot thickens.

This chapter is rated T.

Enjoy.

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Chapter 1

A Dream and a New Life

He had covered himself with his bed sheets, desperately trying to muffle the sound from outside. Both his hands covered his ears while tears poured endlessly down his small cheeks. His brother had told him to stay in his room no matter what he heard, saw, or didn't hear. Since then, all he heard were screams, loud-shrinking screams. All were coming from outside his bedroom and outside his home. He was scared and confused because most of those screams sounded familiar and it puzzled him, _why were they screaming_? It scared him because he didn't know why. There were sounds of things being sliced and things being torn into tiny pieces and the more he tried not hearing them, the more he realized that those things were people. They were the one's making those sounds and it made his skin crawl.

"Aniki," eight year old Sasuke whispered from under his sheets.

Night fell; he sensed it and he still hadn't moved from under the sheets. It was quiet, too quiet, but every now and then he would hear a muffled cry from outside and he would try to cover his ears harder. He didn't want to hear another sound that would indicate the worst. That maybe…

There were footsteps coming up the stairs. Sasuke cringed and covered his ears again just in case. His door slide opened and the footsteps got closer. His own body shook as he could almost feel the presence above him. Then he heard a voice.

"Sasuke." It was his brother, Itachi. Unknowingly to Sasuke, Itachi eyes glowed red in the dark.

Jumping from under his covers, Sasuke ran straight to his brother and gave him the most endearing hug his small body could muster. He felt tears form in the back of his eye lids and could feel his heart race as he hugged his brother. He was happy to finally see his brother and have someone near him, but something felt different. He lifted his head from off his brother's chest and searched for answers.

"Aniki, what happened? Why was there so much screaming? Why…" a lump in his throat stopped him from speaking any further. He buried his head into his brother's chest and cried.

Itachi felt as though it was time to end this and show his brother the real reason for why he kept him for last. He reached and grabbed his brother by his upper arms and pulled him away. He then turned to leave out the room, but not before he turned his head a little, to the side, and told his brother to follow him. Sasuke was more than happy to follow his brother anywhere.

They reached their parent's room and Itachi slide open the door and what Sasuke saw took his breathe away. Both his parents were in the middle of their room on their knees, tied by the wrists and ankles behind their backs, and gagged with a cloth. Sasuke found himself frozen, unable to move, just from the sight of it. Itachi, on the other hand, just stepped into the room and walked around his parents, like they were nothing. He stopped behind them and then looked up to his little brother.

His mother was crying, her soft face was red and puffy from it, but his father had a stern face, a face of confidence and of deep strength. Sasuke stared at him the most. It was the only thing keeping him from looking at his mother's weeping face. He couldn't handle to see her face right now, not like that.

He didn't notice that Itachi had move to pull out a katana. Its sharp edge flickered from the moon and showed off the blood that dripped from it. With one swing, he cut off his mother's head. Her body went limped and slowly fell in front of her husband. His father didn't flinch; he just kept his eyes on Sasuke, his face still stern.

Itachi moved behind his father and knelt. He brought the sword in front of his father's neck and a small smile appeared on Itachi's face. His eyes watching Sasuke, making sure he was seeing everything. Then with quick work of the sword, he slit his father's throat, and watched as he slowly died, falling forward until his life dissipated.

Sasuke watched as his father slumped on top of his mother's body; both lied motionless in a pool of blood.

Nothing was making sense. Why did his brother just kill their parents? What made him do it? Why wasn't he moving? This couldn't be his brother, not the brother he knows…knew. He couldn't be the one who loved his family and the one who taught him how to use kunai knives and shurikens. No, it couldn't be possible, it couldn't….

He felt someone slap him across the face, snapping him out of his stupor. Falling on his back, he saw his brother standing over him. Then everything snapped: the screaming, the slicing noises, and his parent's death. It all hit him at once and he started to crawl away from his brother on his hands and knees into the dark hallway, but he didn't get far as he felt his shirt from behind being grabbed and pulling him onto his feet. Then he felt a sharp, excruciating pain being punched into his abdomen by a large fist. He went limped from both pain and over-exposure to the unreasonable. Itachi carried him back into their parent's room and dropped him on the floor next to his parent's bodies without a care in the world.

Sasuke felt like he wasn't there. Something inside of him felt broken, taken away, but he couldn't figure out what. This wasn't what he was supposed to see, not by his brother's hands and certainly not at his young age. He knew that, because it was tearing him apart on the inside, it was killing him slowly. How could this have happened?

Itachi picked up his sword he had dropped earlier to apprehend his brother. This was easier than what he had thought it would be. He'd at least thought his _otouto_ would put up a fight, but he took him down with just the smallest of effort and now he would finish him.

Itachi stopped suddenly to watch his little brother. Sasuke just laid there, eyes turned inward, focused on his parent's corpses. _Pathetic_, to be so weak at such an age was hopeless, Itachi thought; he couldn't believe they came from the same family. How could _he_ call him self an Uchiha?

Straddling his little brother's legs, Itachi placed the sword above his brother's small neck. Watching as Sasuke turned his small head towards him, eyes filled with hurt, _Perfect_. He readied himself, turning the tomoe of his Sharingan, to remember every detail, he's already pressing the sword on to the small neck under him, but something stopped him.

It was a small voice, "Aniki…Why," tears fell from the younger Uchiha's eyes. Then those eyes realized the sword and his brother's position. "Please, don't. I don't what to die." Sasuke reached for his brother's vest and balled his small fingers around it. "Please don't kill me. I want to live….I…want to…live."

In an instant, Itachi was off of him.

"Pathetic, worthless, little brother," Itachi said in a simple voice. "You beg for life and you want to become a shinobi. A shinobi doesn't fear death, they face it…embrace it. I should kill you now and save the academy from an embarrassment like you."

Those words broke something else inside of Sasuke, coming from him. They never did coming from the other Uchihas who spoke of similar words, even when his father spoke those words. He looked up into his older brother's eyes and saw hatred.

Too much, too much in one day, and one night, it was suffocating. Sasuke had to leave, to get away from the smell, the sight, from _him_. He had to and he did. In one quick motion, Sasuke was out of the room, into the hallway, down the stairs, into the kitchen, and out the back door.

Bodies were everywhere, but he didn't stop to look at them. He wanted out and he could only do that by leaving out the compound and as far away from _him_ as humanly possible.

He could see the gate, just a few more steps and he was out, but as his small hands reached out to open the gates, his brother appeared in front of him. The sudden appearance had Sasuke falling backward and onto the ground. His brother held up the sword above his head, eyes showing nothing. In quick skillful work, Itachi brought the sword down and….

A boy with black hair and the same color of eyes sat up in bed. Sweat dripped down his young teenage body and his heart was racing. His mouth was open in a scream that never came; it was left in the back of his throat. He clenched his bed sheets with a death grip that turned his knuckles white.

Suddenly his bedroom door opened and a woman of around late thirties rushed into the room and hurriedly cuddled the young boy in her arms.

"Breathe, you're safe now. No one will hurt you. Come on breathe." The boy in her arms started to calm down. "That's it, breathe. It's alright; I'm here now, mommy's here."

A man appeared by the door, also in his late thirties, watched the scene under tired eyes.

"The same dream, son," the man asked. The boy just stared off into nothing, still shaken up by his nightmare.

"Why don't you lie back down, while your father and I go get you some water, okay," the woman asked as she helped the boy to lie back down. She placed a kiss upon his pale forehead before she and her husband left the room. They went into the kitchen where the woman grabbed a cup and ran some cold water into it from the sink. Her husband leaned on the counter and crossed his arm.

"Ayame, his dreams are coming back… and after four years."

"I know Kiyoshi, but they left him then and they will leave him now. It just takes time."

"Yeah, but four nights in a week, I can't keep losing sleep like I use to. I have a job to get to early in the morning. I can't lose this one like I did the last one."

"I know, but Shin needs us. He can't do this alone. We're his only support he's got." She started to cry. She was tired too, but the boy needed her more and she wasn't about to give up on him. It's just that she didn't know how to fix it, when the boy himself doesn't know what's wrong with him, his self. Her husband sighed and embraced her in his arms. She cried on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Ayame. It's just that we need the money and I need to support this family." He paused, a smile formed on his face. "You know, I love you, both of you and there is nothing in this world that will change that."

"I know and I'm sorry too." She lifted her head and chastely kissed her husband on the lips. "Come on, lets go give Shin his water. He should have calmed down by now." She took her husband's hand and they walked back to their son's room. Upon entering, they noticed that he was fast asleep; the covers halfway off the bed and half covering his legs.

Ayame put the cup of water on his night stand and picked up the covers half on the floor. She brought it up to his neck and tucked it under him.

She brushed his black bangs away from his face and kissed his pale forehead.

"Goodnight, Shin. Sweet dreams."

They stayed by the door for a few moments, just watching their blessed son sound asleep. They were glad to have him, no matter what his past was like. They knew he was safe with them now and no one will take him away.

Closing his door they left to go to their room to go back to sleep, or at least get some rest until the next set of nightmares woke their son.

After his bedroom door was closed, the young boy opened his eyes from his pretend sleep. He didn't know where or why those dreams keep coming. They seem so real and the reality of it all was terrifying. He even felt as though he was this "Sasuke" person and that he once had a life with a powerful clan, but it all seemed too unreal. There was no way he was an Uchiha. He has a mother and a father, they're not dead and he has no brother. His dreams couldn't be real, no, they just weren't.

For some reason he keeps telling himself that and finding it harder to believe.

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**AN: **So what did you think...interesting uh? I would really like to read what you guys thought about it, so PLEASE review. Thank you.


	2. Discoveries and Lost Memories

**AN: **Hey here's another chapter for A Long Lost Uchiha. I would like to thank all of those who have reviewed, I really appreciate all of them.

If you have read any of my other stories (especially, Control is Everything), I like to explain all details in flashbacks, especially in the beginning so you, the readers and reviewers, can understand the whole plot and so you won't get lost during the middle of the fanfic. Well, this is one of them, hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did in writing it.

Oh, GREAT NEWS, I was recently told that my review system for Anonymous reviewers was disabled, but I changed that so now EVERYONE can review. YAY.

ENJOY

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Chapter 2

Discoveries and Lost Memories

Four years ago…

ANBU got word that there was a body lying in front of the Uchiha's gate. It appeared to be a little boy.

On arrival, the ANBU noticed the small body. It wasn't uncommon for them to see such things, but for it to be a boy from the Uchiha clan was saying a lot. One of the black ops, a female, walked in through the gates and knelt down above the boy. She was the captain and she felt as though she should make the first inspection.

"He's alive, but barely. We need to take him to the hospital. Crow," she pointed to one of their newest member, "Take him to the hospital, ASAP, and send word that something has happened in the Uchiha Compound."

The ANBU known as Crow nodded and quickly took the small boy in his arms and flickered off. The rest carefully walked into the compound with the stealthiest of their profession and the caution of a well-trained shinobi. The first thing they were greeted with was a body, barely there but recognizable. They saw more as they traveled further into the luxurious compound. They needed to find the leader, Uchiha Fugaku, but they had a feeling that he too did not survive this massacre. And they were right, because seconds later, they found him and his wife in the middle of their room. The three ANBU that accompanied the female captain, stared at the bodies with awe. They did notice another ANBU flicker into the room, but didn't acknowledge him until he had spoken.

"There seem to be no survivors, captain, except for the boy."

The female captain looked around the room and stopped at a photograph on the night stand by the bed. She picked it up and scanned it. "I think we have two survivors, or shall I say, one survivor and one murder."

There were silenced between the ANBU.

"You can't be serious, captain, one person did all this. It can't…"

"Itachi is a member of ANBU and an Uchiha. I think the possibility is that he_ is_ capable of something like this. The question is why," their captain put down the picture and walked out of the room. "Give the Hokage the word of what happened here and who is responsible. We rank one of our own an S-rank criminal."

The Hokage got word about what happened in the Uchiha compound. He ordered that they keep it quiet until further information. The village was not to know about the only survivor and to keep who have done it also low key.

But words traveled fast and of course the whole area of Konoha has heard what had become of their beloved clan, the Uchihas. Everyone mourned, there was a huge funeral, and there even was a day in honor of the great clan itself. But while this was going on, ANBU was searching and hunting for any possible leads to the other Uchiha. They found nothing and it turned out to be a dead end. Their only hope was that he doesn't come back for the boy.

"His name is Sasuke Uchiha, the youngest son of Fugaku Uchiha and Mikoto Uchiha, and the younger brother of Itachi Uchiha," the nurse told the ANBU captain. "He was born, July the twenty-third, and …"

"Enough of the small details, I already know that, what his condition is like? Is he going to make it," the ANBU captain interrupted.

"Well, yes, but he is so traumatized that I don't think he will be critically okay after he wakes up. The wound across his chest was sealed, but we still needed to patch him up, it was deep, there may be scarring. And the psychological damage, well… we won't know until he awakes, but a boy his age and the severity of what happened at the…well, I don't think it will be good," the nurse finished with a heavy sigh. She was one of many who have seen the boy in the hospital after the incident and they all felt for the boy.

"I want to see him," the captain ordered.

The nurse grabbed her clipboard and headed down the hallway. The ANBU followed her in silence. They descended a few stairs until they were in a basement-like area, only used for top secret patients who were either under watch or carefully guarded. Only to be hidden from the rest of the patients so words won't get out about ANBU's dealings. They walked down another hallway, only to hear the sound of a long dragged-out, high pitched beeping sound.

"His heart monitor," the nurse gasped out. She ran further ahead from the ANBU captain and opened the double doors to the single room. Upon entering the room, she gasped and clumsily leaned her self on the wall next to the door. The ANBU captain entered shortly afterwards and was greeted with… nothing. Or no one, the boy was missing.

The council was getting restless. Their only survivor of their adored clan was missing. They needed to get him back, if not for his safety than to insure them that Itachi didn't get his hands on him and try to finish him off which he almost succeeded in doing during the massacre.

"Have you tried looking for him," an elderly woman asked the Third.

"Yes," the Third answered.

"And," she prompted. "Were there any clues to his whereabouts?"

"None. My squad of both Jonins and ANBU found nothing and there were no traces of force entry into the hospital to indicate that the boy was kidnapped. He just vanished."

"Little boys who were surrounded by top security don't just get up one day and vanish, Sarutobi."

"I know," he shamelessly admitted.

"The rest of the council and I have agreed, this can no longer be withheld under just our knowledge," the elderly woman announced.

The Third knew what they were implying.

"Please, you can't, it's dangerous. What if enemy countries hear about this? What if Itachi finds out that his brother is…"  
"We have tried your way Sarutobi. We have ally countries near; maybe they have seen the boy and we will have more than just our shinobis looking for the Uchiha. The council have already agreed…see to it that it is accomplished. That is all."

News traveled fast. With ally countries help and Fire country, posters of the missing Uchiha went out within a week. An reward was given and details were held at a minimum, his injuries of what he received at the massacre was held low key, only the Hokage and a few selected shinobis knew of that fact, thus creating chaos. Many young boys were brought in by villagers of all over claiming that they were the missing Uchiha…none of them were, of course, but that didn't stop more and more people from coming. When things did settle down and there was still no Uchiha, the search was over and Sarutobi was grateful but he still felt uneasy. Not only does the whole world know that there was a surviving lost Uchiha somewhere, but that he wasn't found and Sarutobi couldn't help but think that this could lead to something more…something much more dangerous. God only knows just how dangerous it would be in the future.

Somewhere, early in the morning, in a village between, the Land of Waterfall and the Land of Grass, a couple walked through a path along the forestry road. They were of their early thirties and they were a happy couple, just married in fact. The weather was nice and cool and the light wind carried pretty pink petals from Sakura trees from somewhere near. It was a beautiful sight and very pleasant. The female of the couple ran out in front to pick up a few Sakura flowers that had fallen onto the ground near the road. She placed some in her black hair and the rest lie gracefully in her hands. She followed them along the path until some lead her absently into the grassy area, near a pond. It was not until she reached for one near the pond did she notice a pale hand near one. She screeched, dropping the rest of her flowers, and ran towards the path. Her husband met her halfway and worriedly asked what the matter was?

"There…there was a…hand, I think…I think he might…be dead. Oh, Kiyoshi, it was so small." She leaned into her husband chest and cried.

"I will go see, stay here." He let his wife go and followed the path he saw his wife took so absentmindedly.

He reached the heap of pink flowers and saw the hand his wife must have seen. Following the hand to an arm, to a shoulder, and so on, he noticed that the body belonged to a little boy. He had black hair and pale skin. Turning the body onto his back, the body let out a small gasp and then a whimper. The husband jumped back a little. The boy's expression was a painful one and he looked as though he was about to cry any second.

"Ayame, come, it's just a little boy." He heard his wife travel towards his voice until she was standing next to him. She looked down at the small body and gasped.

"Oh, Kiyoshi," she bends down to brush the bangs away from the small face. "He's so small."

"Nooo," the boy woke seating up with wide terrified eyes.

Out of instinct, Ayame found herself embracing the boy. She calmingly "shushed" and whispered soft nothing to him to sooth his trembling body. The husband came down to knelt behind his wife and softly patted the boy on the head.

"What's your name, son," Kiyoshi asked.

The boy slowly pushed away from the woman's embrace and searched his surroundings.

"Where are you from," Ayame asked afterwards.

The boy looked at the couple and his started to tremble again. Ayame went to reach for him, but he backed away, almost landing into the pond.

"Who are you? Where am I?" the boy cried.

"You're in Destiny Village, north west of the Land of Fire. Please, come back so you won't fall into the pond." She reached again and the boy jumped back again. He was starting to panic.

"I…I don't remember…I can't remember how…I," the boy cried out, covering his face with his small hands. Ayame took the opportunity to embrace the boy again. He cried in her shoulder and wrapped his small arms around her.

"I-I …how…I don't…I can't…remember my name. W-who am I" He cried.

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**AN: **So the plot thickens. How was it? I really like writing this chapter, it was fun and so serious. Oh, so you know, the ANBU in the beginning known as Crow isn't Kakashi, I just couldn't think of another animal other than a crow...uhm...yeah...EHEHEEHE.

Another thing is the council, I wasn't sure if they can be really that forceful over the Hokage, but it really seem to work out so I kept it that way. I didn't intentionally wanted them to be so mean, but I needed something or someone to be disperate in wanting the Uchiha back. Sarutobi was disperate, but he was doing his job in keeping the missing Uchiha safe.

Please review to let me know how you liked it or something, I really appreciate them a lot. Please and Thank You.


	3. Finding Him and Finding the Uchiha

**AN: **I know, I know...a short chapter for a long wait on being updated, but I couldn't get it to work, being too long or being too short, so this was what I got and I think it works. But to make up for it I will put up the next chapter either tomorrow or Friday, and that one will be longer and **KAKASHI **and the others will be introduced in that one...okay. But still this one had to be written so here it is.

Thanks for **ALL** the reviews again, they really help inspire me to continue. Keep them coming okay. Thanks.

Enjoy

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Chapter 3

Finding him and Finding the Uchiha

Present…

He was trailing a man he was supposed to assassinate when he saw him. A boy, around the age of twelve or thirteen, walked passed him, carrying a few bags of various items. At first he thought he was just seeing things, but when he saw him again, coming out of a small restaurant, he knew that his mind was not playing tricks on him. He contemplated whether to keep with his mission or follow the boy… he decided on the latter. He could always assassinate the man later; it wasn't like he didn't know where the man lived anyway. He's been on this mission for about two weeks now for Konoha, another hour or two won't hurt. Disregarding the man he decided to follow the boy. On various occasions, he had to conceal himself behind walls and shadows, but the boy didn't noticed, it was the couple he was with that kept looking back or would stop to check something. It was becoming irritating and a waste of time, because he wasn't sure if the boy was really _him_. It's probably a weird coincidence that a boy, now around the age, dark hair, dark eyes, and pale skin resemble the missing surviving Uchiha, it just had to be one.

"It's been four years," he whispered to himself. "Could he be the one?"

The couple and the boy stopped at the outer gates of the town. A man offered a farewell and opened the gates for them, so they could leave.

He thought he heard the man call the boy, "Shin" and a last name, "Unomi." But it could be the trick of his ears or the wind that just so happened to pick up at that moment. He had to keep following them, this was started to get interesting.

The couple and the boy walked down a wooded path having various conversations about everyday things, the boy stayed silent though. He mostly stayed behind the couple and would nod on occasions.

Twenty minutes later, still tracking them, he noticed a small house in the middle of a forest up ahead. He noticed that they were heading in that direction and stopped on a branch. The house was really nothing, a cabin almost; it was wooden, of course. On either side of it were some vegetable gardens, a small rice field behind it and a shed. The front was fixed up with a flower garden and a stone path. It was a homey type of house, with a family that lived in it, the boy's family. He watched as the boy gave his bags to the older man of the group as the couple entered the house and the boy ran behind the house. Minutes later the boy came back out with a bundle of Sakura flowers and several of others in his hands. He opened the house door and then closed it behind him.

Making a mental note of everything he had witness, the follower scurried off, back to town to complete his own mission, and afterwards he would take pictures and write a report of everything and send it to the Fifth Hokage. He may have found Sasuke Uchiha.

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**AN: **Short but it describes where the Unomis live and how Konoha finds the missing Uchiha. But seriously, I will make up for the shortness, until then PLEASE review and give me inspiration to continue. Please and Thank You. 


	4. Promise First, Mission Second

**AN: **Hey there, here's another chapter. There's a lot of repeating in this, but like I said the plot will thicken. It's just I like to put in every characters' part and what there role will play in my fanfic. **Kakashi** is in this one so that's a big bonus, hehe.

Hope you like it, ENJOY

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Chapter 4

Promise First, Mission Second

For the five months that she has been the Godaime, Tsunade had never had this much paper work in her life. They just keep piling up and she was starting to see less and less of her desk. With a sigh, she would have to trick someone into doing this, later, she thought, but right now her only concern was how she was going to pay off her gambling debts from last night. It was only a couple of games and she now own a man more than what she could afford, uh, it was tough being a kage.

Upon contemplating, her door was knocked upon.

"Enter," she breathed out, rubbing her temples. She could feel another headache forming.

"Godaime, I have urgent news from one of the shinobi located northwest from here. He says that it is of great importance and that you should take a look at it immediately."

The shinobi handed her a thin package with the words 'urgent' written on it.

"Thank you. You are dismissed," Tsunade signal for the shinobi to leave before she examined the parcel. She took the time to look the package over in her hands before breaking the seal and opening it. A paper fell out first and written on that were the words, 'read first.'

Unfolding the sheet of paper, she scanned over it. On occasion, her eyes would widen as she read over the details. After reading the letter, she went through the package to pull out some photos. They were of the couple mentioned in the letter and the house that they lived in. Some were of the village some miles away from where they lived and the names of all persons and places. The last photo was of the boy. She took her time to examine that photograph.

When she was away from Konoha, she had heard about what happened to the Uchiha clan four years ago and that there was no survivors, but returning to Konoha as the Fifth she was informed that there was a survivor and that the older brother was at fault. She also was told that the younger Uchiha had escaped somehow and no one has been able to find him, well, up until now, at least.

She placed all items on her desk and rubbed her temples again, she could feel another headache coming, but this one was for a real problem.

She would need a reliable and skillful team for this mission. One that got the job done and in a quick and hurry fashion. She would need Kakashi's team.

---

"Achoo," Kakashi rubbed his masked nose, after sneezing as he put his orange book away. He was getting to the really good part when a shinobi flickered on the branch next to him to announce that the Fifth wanted to speak with him. He just sent the shinobi a nod before disappearing in a cloud of smoke. Moments later he was in the Hokage's office.

"You wanted to speak with me," he spoke to the Fifth.

She threw him a folder and a scroll, which he caught with one hand. "Read it, learn it, and get it done. It is a search and retrieval mission. I'm giving you two weeks to accomplish it and that's including the traveling time from there and back." She leaned back in her chair and sigh. Her right eye twitched as she kept a watchful eye on him, but not really looking at him, per se. Kakashi took notice.

"Is there something else I should know about before I accept," Kakashi asked.

"Yeah, the mission should be done with as little interruptions as possible. Attention brought upon this mission can bring more problems than needed. I'm telling you this because it has something and everything to do with a certain Uchiha."

There was surprise in Kakashi's face, but one couldn't really tell when it was just the eyebrow that rose above his exposed eye.

"The mission I'm giving you and your team, Kakashi, is the retrieval of Sasuke Uchiha."

---

"You're worthless," Sai told his teammate, Sakura.

"Hey, you can't talk to her that way," Naruto blurted with anger.

"I can and I just did," Sai challenged. He stepped towards Naruto and crossed his arms waiting for Naruto's next move.

"Guys, not today, okay. Naruto it is alright, what Sai said don't have any affect on me anymore. He's just saying it to make you angry," Sakura tried to calm her blonde friend down.

"Yeah, but still, he didn't have to call you worthless."

"It is okay, Naruto, believe me, nothing he can say can hurt me. They're just words, and besides, he's too much of a chicken to say it in my face," Sakura said turning towards Sai and giving him a fist-hit in the back of the head.

Naruto burst out laughing and pointed at Sakura as she added two more for good measure, but Sai blocked the last two and slightly pushed Sakura towards Naruto.

"You, guys are a bunch of idiots," Sai stated before walking on the other side of the bridge, one of their daily meeting place, and once again they were waiting on Kakashi to show up to give them news about their next mission. It was like this all the time, him and Naruto would argue and Sakura would stop them, but only start another argument between him and her. It was a routine of theirs and something to buy time when Kakashi was running late as usual. He thought back on how it used to be when they first became Team 7. They had fights, literally, almost everyday. It was a little surprising that they even got some of their far away missions done, but they all worked well together, it was part of their teamwork. Sai tried not to see it that way, but Naruto and Sakura were growing on him and visa versa. Now they were at Chunin level, at the age of fifteen.

"What's taking him so long," Naruto whined. "Six-thirty, he told us to be here at six-thirty and now it is nine-forty."

"Well, you know how Kakashi-sensei is, always late," Sakura sighed.

There was a poof of smoke on one of the rails of the bridge and soon after Kakashi appeared.

He jumped down and walked between his team without saying anything.

"What, no excuses," Sai asked.

"No time, we have a very important mission," Kakashi said without looking back, he just headed to their training ground. The three were shocked, but they followed their sensei anyway.

---

"So what you are saying is that there was a survivor in the massacre of the Uchiha clan," Sakura asked. Kakashi just nod his head. There were shock silence and some confused looks, pretty much what Kakashi had expected from his team. Not too many of the children four years ago knew about the missing Uchiha. It was something only shinobis knew and well, his team didn't know about it, so now he was telling them the story.

"Yeah, that is exactly what I'm saying. The youngest son of Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha and the younger brother to Itachi Uchiha was found next to the Uchiha Compound's gates that night. He had a deep slash wound across his chest, in which he had to be taken into the infirmary. Everyone in the compound was dead, everyone except for Sasuke, of course, and his older brother, Itachi."

"Wait, sensei, I thought you said that there was only one survivor? You mentioned two names, Sasuke and Itachi."

"Yes that is true, but Itachi's reason for being alive was because he was the one who killed his clan and attempted to kill his little brother." There was another shock silence and Kakashi sighed. He had to hurry up; they did have only two weeks for this mission. "Two days after the unpleasant incident, Sasuke disappeared. He was never seen or heard from again."

A pause.

"But…," Naruto prompted.

"But, there has been a recent sighting of a boy resembling about Sasuke's age of right now and appearance. We are to meet with the shinobi on mission in that area who spotted the boy and bring the boy back here to Konoha. But we must do this as quickly as possible and with no added attention to ourselves. We want this to be a touch and go mission. Is that understood?"

Team 7 nodded their heads, but for some reason they felt as though it wasn't a question that their sensei asked of them. Before either of them could ask him, Kakashi disappeared.

--

Kakashi stood next to the monument with his friend's name inscribed in it. When Tsunade told him about this mission it brought back old memories. Obito was his best friend and also an Uchiha. He didn't die in the massacre though, he died way before then. Kakashi placed his left hand over his covered left eye.

"They treated me like a family, after you died, Obito. When I got out of the hospital, they welcomed me with opened arms. I was a little confused and angry because at first, when I met you, they treated me like I didn't exist, but when you died and I received your Sharingan eye, it was like I was part of the family. Don't get me wrong, I loved the attention and the acceptance, but it didn't feel right. It felt fake and forced, like I  
took something of theirs and they wanted to keep me close so I wouldn't run away with some… secret."

He closed his eyes and took in a deep shaky breathe.

"I stopped coming here after the massacre, because I felt guilty. I felt like I was the one who killed them, that it was me who wished it upon them somehow. And in thinking that, I let you down by not believing in them…by letting them die, I did not protect them. I'm sorry."

"But I'm not going to let you down this time. There is one survivor out there and I will keep him safe, bring him back, anything, something I didn't do with them…and with you. I won't let you down, Obito. This is a promise I'm making for you and for them."

He stood at the monument for awhile longer before stuffing his hands in his pockets and walking home. With new determination, he will keep his promise, he won't fail again…he won't fail, Obito again.

* * *

**AN: **I like to keep the plot behind Kakashi's story the same, I think it's safe to say that it is and has everything to do with making Kakashi... Kakashi (the sex god, ehehehe). He's so modest to want to cherish a promise of a friend he lost a long time ago, but what he learned back then, he is still afraid or cautious to express now, and I think that makes him so much human and that's what attracts me to his character. I input what the Uchiha's reaction towards Kakashi having the Sharingan would be like because it plays a big part in what my fanfic is all about (not giving it away, but it will be summed up in later chapters).

Please review and let me know what you thought, Pretty please. Thank you.


	5. Arrival Part 1

**AN: **Hey, well some of you asked if I could update a little bit sooner than waiting a whole week to update and well, I'm happy to do that but it won't last long. I have school and I'm way behind in some of my Eng.102 essays and so, I'm trying to catch up on those, along with my Criminal Justice course assignment...fifteen pages on blood stains and patterns, good thing I'm interested in the course, it is my major, hehe.

This chapter is part one of two. I got this one parter done, but for me, I would have liked to save it for later on so I could read over it continuously over the week before I updated it. That's why I wait a week before posting it, but it's what the readers want, right?

I got part two one-third of the way finish so expect it to be up on Wed. or Thurs., but I really would like to read through it in a weeks time, to make sure it is okay, with you know, grammar issues and that it has a nice flow to it with the rest of the chapters before it...a professionist I know, but I like to keep my readers happy and not have to hear about my grammar issues or how it doesn't flow in with the fanfic as a whole.

Hope you like it though, ENJOY

* * *

Chapter 5

Arrival- Part1

They arrived in Destiny Village within four days. That was the best they could do without stopping or resting on the main route. Tsunade had instructed that they should do this quick and that was exactly what they were going to do. Before leaving Konoha, they dressed into civilian's clothing; they didn't want the attention of being shinobis drawn to them.

Picking out a small, two bedroom, motel within the inner town of Destiny, they set off to meet with the shinobi who sent them the information. It was said earlier in the letter, sent to the Fifth that the shinobi would inform whoever was sent further information when they got there. All in the letter was to inform the Fifth of the assumption that the child, mentioned, could be the Uchiha kid and the names that were gathered to familiarize the coming persons assigned the mission of who and what was involved with the assumed boy. They only hoped that they don't run into any problems along the way.

Their meeting place was a small restaurant, called K's Sushi. It wasn't crowded nor was it empty either, but the amount of people in it was enough for them to be discreet. The restaurant, itself wasn't all that big either. It had about three booths near each of its walls; the center was crammed with round tables and a buffet as a centerpiece. Upon entering, Kakashi and his team spotted a man carefully eating his meal in a corner booth, but kept a watchful eye on the door…that had to be their informant. Kakashi, along with his team made their way to the man as he lifted his head as a greeting. Him and Kakashi both gave a hidden signal nod and got down to business.

"I hope the Fifth informed you of why you are here," the shinobi asked. The group gave him knowingly nods. "Good."

He went on about how he spotted the boy and where he was staying and how he got the names. He told them that it only took him two days to get the rest of the information and that was when he sent his gathered items to Konoha.

"Okay, now for the details," he said as he took out a small card carrying pouch and opened it. In it were small, duplicates of the pictures of what was sent to the Fifth.

"Her name is Ayame Unomi." He pointed at the first picture of a woman. "She works at a flower and gift shop some blocks away from here, but only on the weekends. She is mostly found at home doing manual housework and taking care of the kid. I think she is also, somewhat, his home school teacher."

"You think," Kakashi asked.

The man smiled sheepishly and cleared his throat.

"Yeah, well I haven't seen him go off to school since I've been tracking them and I couldn't look in their home with it being in the opening and all. Plus, the woman is always home so I can't snoop around."

Kakashi stared at him to continue.

"Okay, Kiyoshi Unomi." He revealed a new picture of a man. "He is usually out at work for most of the morning until evening that is usually around nine or ten. He owns a restaurant here in town, this restaurant actually. On Fridays he brings his family here to help him out around the place."

"So that's why you suggested this restaurant," Sai implied, it was indeed a Friday. Sakura and Naruto nodded their heads in agreement.

"Okay, about the kid," Kakashi continued. His attention was momentarily brought upon the window outside the restaurant. There were some men looking through it from across the street, suspiciously. And for that moment, Kakashi thought that they could be enemy ninja, but the men had no tactful skills in being hidden so he scratched that idea and his attention was brought back to the task at hand…their mission.

"Yeah, the kid. Well, they call him Shin Unomi. Like I said in the letter, he is the right age and resembles much of what the Uchiha kid would look today. He keeps to himself a lot, don't much talk to the couple mentioned earlier, but he is very attached to them. As in, he's very over protective of them, maybe an inner fear of losing them or something."

"Why an inner fear, what does that got to do with anything," Naruto asked, surprisingly in a well inner voice tone.

The shinobi took a deep breathe and forcefully let it out. This might take a lot of explaining on his part, but he probably can shorten it and put as much details as possible into it.

"In some occurrences, I would come in contact with the boy, whether by accident or on purpose on my part. I wanted to see if the boy knew that a shinobi from his past life was near and what his reaction would be. I tried everything, hidden words and phrases, like dates of the Uchiha's Massacre and names, and even…uhm,…hehe, showing him my headband of where I was from." The man lean back in his seat and rubbed his hand behind his head, sheepishly.

"You did this while you were on mission, don't you know that that's in the handbook of something _NOT_ to do," Kakashi stated, his visual eye showing anger. It really wasn't about the whole point of showing the headband, it was more the fact that the shinobi could have been spotted by enemy ninjas, or the outcome of the boy's reaction could have ended up with the boy disappearing again. And he surely didn't want that to happen.

"I know, and I'm sorry, but I did find something interesting that I didn't put in the urgent letter."

"And what was that," Kakashi asked, calming down a little.

"The boy has no memories of his life in Konoha. He reacted to nothing I threw at him, and there were no signs of recognition of anything. Before the boy disappeared, four years ago, the doctors were concern about the traumatizing effect it would have on the boy; well I think I just found it. I did my research and found out that the boy could have some form of amnesia; it's not uncommon, especially in our line of work. Children see a lot of things they shouldn't and they just don't know how to handle it... In some cases of amnesia that is brought upon by psychological trauma, it lead to loss of memory and one's identity, a dissociative symptom, I guess. This could be the case with the Uchiha kid."

"Is that even possible, sensei," Sakura asked not really believing it, until she heard what her sensei had to say.

There was a long pause as everyone waited to hear what Kakashi had to say.

"I guess it could be possible," Kakashi answered, monotone and all.

Another long, dragged out pause.

"Does this make our job easier or … harder," Sai asked.

There was no answer from Kakashi this time; they can only assume that it was the latter. It looks like they would have a problem with this mission, after all.

* * *

**AN: **What the shinobi was explaining to Kakashi and his team about Shin's condition is called Acute Stress Disorder. I looked it up on Wikipedia and in some of my psychology books. It states that the disturbance lasts for about a minimum of 2 days and a maximum of 4 weeks and occur within 4 weeks of the traumatic event, but I exaggerated and had it extended up to 4 years or so. It is my story so I think it is okay, but I thought I should let you guys know the real duration of the disorder. It could be Dissociative Fugue as well, but I liked Acute Stress Disorder better.

So what do you think, REVIEW and let me know. Please and Thank You.


	6. Arrival Part 2

**AN: **Sorry about not updating like I said I would, but it wasn't finish and I had made some changes. I hope it worked out for the best?

I think this is the longest chapter in the story so far. I hope you guys like it. Anyway, I'm not going to stop talking so you guys can go ahead a read.

Enjoy

* * *

Chapter 6

The Arrival-Part 2

After their little conversation with the shinobi and a quick meal in the restaurant, they headed back to the motel to discuss their new situation.

"Wow, no memory of your past life, that's a little sad," Sakura stated as she opened up the door to her room, which was connected to her teammates'.

"Well, seeing one's family murdered can do that to you, especially to a child," Sai said.

"I don't get it, Sensei. Why hadn't he regained his memory after four years, shouldn't he remember something by now," Naruto asked impatiently. He's been contemplating the situation in his head for the longest and it bothered him to no end that someone could automatically loss their past memoirs. It seemed, to him, that a person would want to keep the memories of their family and their past, at least the good ones, and not throw them away like nothing happened.

'The mind works in mysterious ways," and Kakashi left it at that.

"So…what's the plan," Sai asked.

"I don't know yet," Kakashi said, seating on one of the beds in their room. He rubbed his hands over his face and sighed. He really didn't know how to plan this one out; he would just have to improvise. This was a mission that was close to home and as important to him as it was to Konoha. He did make a promise to a dead comrade and the entire murdered clan. He would have to think of something. "I don't know."

"Well, we would have to make contact somehow. It's all in the matter of timing," Sakura imputed, she left her room and sat next to Naruto on the other bed.

"Yeah, timing," Kakashi barely acknowledge, he was just repeating what he heard.

As if a light bulb went off in his head, Kakashi stood up from his seat on the bed and walked to the door.

"Hey, where you going," Naruto asked, getting up to follow his sensei.

Before his hands reached to door knob, Kakashi turned around and looked towards his students.  
"I'm going to make some time. Stay here, I'll come and get you when I have everything planned out."

"Yeah, but…"Naruto didn't get a chance to finish before the door was slammed shut in his face. "Man, he's always disappearing without telling us where he's going."

"That's sensei for you," Sakura said as she lie back on the bed and closed her eyes. She might as well get some sleep while they waited for Kakashi to get back.

Over night the restaurant had a change of scenery. Sure, it still gave out food and others, but it seemed to be full now. People of all ages were gathered around in the booths and tables, sharing affable chit-chats. The only difference really was the buffet centerpiece. It wasn't the food serving bar, no, it was now a bar filled with alcoholic beverages and surrounding stools. Kakashi notice this as he sat perched up on a branch in a near by tree. The place was packed with mostly, what seemed to be everyone from the village. _No wonder he asked his family to help him on Fridays_, Kakashi thought. He saw a man resembling Kiyoshi in the middle of the bar serving drinks, while a woman, Ayame, was taking and giving out orders. They look busy enough, that Kakashi was surprise that only two people and maybe some others could handle the place.

Kakashi noticed that the woman, Ayame, looked like a peaceful kind woman. She was delicate around the eyes, especially when she smiled, which she did often around her customers. Her entire being, set off a mood of someone who gave off a comfortable atmosphere.

Her husband, Kiyoshi, a stern man, one can tell he was a hard worker. His face and posture showed it, and his eyes were the most obvious ones. But they also gave off a kindness to them, one could tell that he like what he was doing and he wouldn't be the one to complain about any thing. But that could be because he was his own boss.

Upon his gazing, Kakashi notice the music from inside got louder. Looking closely, he noticed that one of the side doors opened and a person walked out. He was carrying a bag in hand and headed for a large dumpster in the alley way. The person dumped the trash in the bin and stood there for a second. He turned around and leaned on the restaurant's side door to gaze up at the crescent moon. The light from it highlighted his face in a silhouette of silvery white. He was young, of course, his pale skin and dark eyes and hair was made perfect for the night scenery. There was an aura being sent by him, that made Kakashi want to jump down the tree and hug him, he looked so fragile, but also in a way, the aura also set a dark feeling to him that told him… no warned him to stay away, he brings danger.

_That's him, Sasuke_, Kakashi inquired as he watched the young boy swipe some moisture from his brow. The boy waited a couple of more minutes outside, before he went back in and disappeared somewhere in the restaurant.

After a long wait, the restaurant began to close down. There were still some people in the restaurant, but they were already saying their goodbyes to some friends before they headed out the door. He saw Sasuke again, he was helping Ayame wipe off the tables and booths and setting the chairs on top of the tables. Kiyoshi was cleaning the bar. They looked peaceful, content with their surroundings. It made Kakashi remember some old feelings, he would like to keep bottled up, and he didn't need to be reminded of those right now. Anyway, he noticed some movements in the shadows in the corners side of the building. He was going to mistake it as being a stray cat, but the figures were much too big for that assumption. And when he finally figured out what really those figures were, they had already busted through the restaurant front door and demanded money or someone will die. They were the men he saw earlier, staring at the restaurant from across the street. He knew they would bring trouble, but this could work for his advantage…a very good advantage.

Ayame screamed as one of the intruders held a small knife near her neck and the others pointed their knives at her husband and son.

"Please, don't hurt her," Kiyoshi begged, pushing his son behind him so if anything would happen, he would be hurt and his son would be protected. "I'll give you whatever you want, just please let her go first."

"I said the money now or someone will get hurt. Now hurry, my patience is running thin," the one holding his knife to Ayame's neck demanded. He pressed the knife closer to her neck to emphasize his point.

"Okay, okay just. I'm going to go behind the bar to get the money, just don't do anything hasty," Kiyoshi stated as he tried easing his way behind the bar. He still had his hands around his son's hands guiding him with him.

"Stop," one of the other intruders ordered. "Leave the kid. You just go."

"Okay," Kiyoshi let go of his son's hand and proceeded to head behind the bar.

"Please, just take whatever you want and leave," Ayame pleaded as she tried struggling with the man holding her.

Suddenly, the door opened and a white hair young man walked in as casual as a person would be walking into a restaurant.

"I think you should leave, now," Kakashi insisted.

"And whose going to make us, you," the intruder closest to Kiyoshi laughed. The rest of his buddies were right along with him.

Kakashi didn't answer; his first thoughts were how to go about doing this without getting Ayame, Kiyoshi, or Sasuke hurt. He could go after the one who has the hostage, but that left time for the others to attack Kiyoshi and Sasuke and there was no way of telling how quick the man was with the knife pressed against her neck. The same if he went after the two next to Kiyoshi and Sasuke, which left the hostage, Ayame, in danger and still no telling how quick those hands were with being so close to her neck. It was settled then, he would have to distract them and hope he could take all three down before they made a move.

He then noticed that all their attentions were on him and not of their original tasks. He saw Sasuke reached for one of the glasses from the bar table and dropped it on the floor, it shattered into a million pieces. All heads were turned his way, and that was all the distraction Kakashi needed. He quickly came up behind the man with the knife pressed against Ayame's neck and brought his hand down between the man's neck and shoulder, knocking him out instantly. Before the man could hit the floor he ran towards the other two, with speed only a ninja could acquire and leaped up off the floor to bring his feet up to the other two's chest as they turned around. They stumbled back and one hit his head on the bar stand, knocking him out on impact. The other one stumbled back but righted himself up, held up his knife, and aimed it at Kakashi.

"Back off," he warned swinging the knife sideways to get Kakashi to back off.

Kakashi held up his hands as if he surrendered. He kept his eye on the man watching for an opening the man put out as he anxiously aimed the knife at him, and _there it is_, Kakashi thought as the man looked down at his fallen buddies laying on the floor, unconscious. Taking the opening, he quickly caught the man's hand with the knife and punched him with the back of his fist with such force that the man went flying across the room into the wall. The intruder was knocked unconscious as he slumped down to the floor.

There was a moment of silence as everything that had happened was taken in.

"Is everyone okay," Kiyoshi asked his family. "Ayame are you hurt, did he cut you." Ayame shook her head as her husband embraced her and her son. "I'm fine just a little shaken that's all." She turned to their rescuer and thanked him.

"It was nothing. I was actually walking by when I saw the commotion and thought I should help," Kakashi politely explained while his visual eye smiled at them.

"No, you saved our lives. I don't know how we should repay you," Kiyoshi stated.

And that was exactly what Kakashi had wanted to hear.

"Actually…" Kakashi started.

"What's taking him so long," Naruto whined.

Sakura moaned into her pillow for the twentieth time today since Kakashi left. Naruto has been complaining ever since his absent and it was starting to get on her nervous.

"Naruto, please be quiet and I am only going to say this once," Sai warned.

"Yeah, why don't you make me," Naruto countered back.

Sai just yawned and then shrugged, "Whatever, Naruto."

Naruto growl and was about to jump on Sai, when their door opened up.

Sakura sat up in bed, while Naruto and Sai faced their sensei who just closed the door behind him.

"Well," Sakura urged.

"Well…we're leaving," Kakashi answered.

"What," all three ninjas blurted out.

Kakashi chuckled and waved his hands in front of him to tell them to calm down.

"Don't worry; we're still on mission…just relocating."

"Where," Sai asked.

"Just repack, I'll tell you when we get there," Kakashi said as he went to pick up his bag and headed back out the door.

They walked out the entrance gate of Destiny along a wooded path. There was a light breeze that was blowing so the trees gave off a ruffling sound of leaves hitting leaves and deep cricking sounds of swinging branches. The crescent moon lit the place with a glow that shaded the path a grayish blue color and highlighted it with a white shade. It was a beautiful sight.

"So, where are we going," Sai asked again.

"We're almost there," Kakashi said and walked further ahead to keep the questioning to a medium. He took a left down the path and came upon an opening where further down there was a cabin seating up ahead. It was everything that was described and shown in the details of the letter and from the informant.

"Is this…"

"Yes it is," Kakashi answered.

"But how," Naruto asked.

"Shh, I'll explain later. Just let me do all the talking for now."

The door to the cabin opened up and a man and a woman walked out.

"Kakashi, I hoped the instructions I gave you didn't give you too much trouble," Kiyoshi asked as he and his wife made it down the steps to greet their guests.

"No, it was fine."

"Good. Well, these must be your friends you are traveling with," he asked gesturing to the group behind Kakashi.

"Yes, this is Sakura, Naruto, and Sai. Really, I hope with us staying here for awhile won't trouble you too much? It's just that, well, we have a journey ahead of us and we needed a nice, quiet place to stay."

"No, it's no problem. Please, come; let us show you to our home." Kiyoshi lead the way to their cabin. "This is my wife, Ayame. I'm Kiyoshi and our son, he just stepped out for a moment but he should be back soon."

He showed them where they would be sleeping and where the kitchen and bathrooms were. He also showed them the outside and some of the vegetables they were growing and how they use them for their restaurant. Ayame stayed in the kitchen to make tea and when they came back in the house, she had already had the cups set on the small table.

They had started a small conversation when the back door opened up.

"Oh," Kiyoshi put down his tea cup and walked to the door. "This is our son, Shin. Shin, don't be rude, say hi."  
There was a short silence in between before the boy spoke, "Hey."

* * *

**AN: **I'm just going to leave it there, but what do you think?

Did you like the action part (fighting scene with Kakashi)? Expect more of that in later chapters, believe me when I say, this fanfic is going to be an action-pack adventure. A lot of action scenes with none stop fighting, things exploding, chasing, and maybe, just maybe some blood to sum it all up. Really, I have it all figured out in my head, I just need to write it down and keep it in safe keeping.

I hope Naruto wasn't too annoying, I really didn't meant to make him that way, I was aiming for impatient but it came out annoying.

Anyway, review and let me know what you thought about it and the future of this fanfic. Really, there will be a lot of action coming up in later chapters. I just like to start out a little slow for the readers and reviewers to get to know the main characters' situations and roles and for you guys to get to know the other characters, so PLEASE be patient with me. I want everything to work out.

REVIEW, PLEASE.


	7. Only Two Weeks or Less

**AN: **I have good news and I have **GREAT** news. First, I've finished two of my Eng.102 essays, so only two more to go, YAY. Secondly, since those last two essays aren't due until the next two weeks, I have all the time to write on both of my fanfics. Isn't that great, Double YAY. I feel good now.

This chapter is short only because I couldn't put as much thought into it this week because of my essays but don't worry, the rest should be of good quantity and quality.

I REALLY want to thank my reviewers (ShadowFoxTrulsRohk, phantom kitten, and Dragon77) I want you guys to know that I really appreciate your comments. Your reviews really influence me to keep writing, and I think you know how I don't want to disappoint my reviewers. SO DOUBLE THANKS, GUYS.

Enjoy

* * *

Chapter 7

Only Two Weeks...or Less

There was silence for a moment. It was just everybody staring at each other and more staring. Basically, Naruto, Sakura, and Sai just stared because since they grew up, they were told that no one survived the Uchiha Massacre. To have one right in front of them was…an honor. That was the only word that crossed their minds for right now. It was an honor to have a real flesh and blood Uchiha right there in front of them, if he's the missing Uchiha.

"So where are you from? It must be a very far place for you to have traveled here in Destiny," Ayame asked breaking the silence with extra passing of tea. "We don't get that many people to come around here. And when we do, they're normally from far away."

"We're from Konoha. Have you ever heard of it," Kakashi looked towards Sasuke/Shin. He wanted to see if what the shinobi had told them was true.

There was no reaction, not even a blink of acknowledgement.

"No I haven't. Is that far," Ayame asked seating down.

"Pretty much, but we've been traveling for years. We are use to it."

Kakashi played it cool, he gave little and he kept little to no information. But to tell the truth, he didn't know if he should trust them at all. They seem too nice for his liking and they practically let complete strangers in their home and not know anything about them.

"May I ask you something," Kakashi asked the couple.

"Sure," Kiyoshi answered.

"Why did you agree in letting us stay? I mean we're strangers and all I did was save your life. I think your 'thanks' is a little bit too much for this kind of situation."

"Well, like you said, you saved us. That is more and all we needed to know that you are trustworthy," Kiyoshi answered.

"Ah," was all Kakashi had said. He would leave it at that.

There was both comfortable and awkward silence after that, up until Naruto did one of his enormous yawn that set off a whole set of yawns.

"Well, we should all go to bed. It is getting late," Kiyoshi said as he, his wife, and son took their guests dishes and set them in the sink. "Please, don't mind us. You can go on to bed. We will see you in the morning."

With that noted Kakashi and his group headed to their room that consists of a bed and three bed mats on the floor. Sakura, of course got the bed.

They waited two hours after the Unomis went to bed to start their own conversation.

"So, we're ninja travelers from Konoha? We're still your students and you are our sensei got it," Sakura explained out loud.

"That's pretty much what I told them," Kakashi breath a sigh.

"I don't see what's so special about the Uchiha? He looks like everyone I've seen around here. I thought he would at least look different, ya'know, like some kind of Hokage special," Naruto pointed out.

"Speaking of which, how do we know that it is him for sure," Sai asked

"One, which is the obvious," Kakashi started. "He has to have black hair and eyes."  
"Well that's one down, our other options," Sai sarcastically mentioned.

"Second, a scar…"  
"A scar? I don't remember hearing about a scar," Naruto interrupted.

Kakashi sigh before he continued. "That's because it wasn't mention in the urgent letter the shinobi sent, I mentioned it earlier when I was giving you the mission report. This was in Sasuke's hospital files. In them is a report of the examination on Sasuke four years ago. When he was found, he had a deep wound across his chest. It was when his brother supposedly tried to kill him. The wound was so deep that the doctors couldn't heal it all the way. He had to be healed the rest of the way with salves to control the healing process, but it would still leave a scar. That will be our next clue."

"Why would his own brother try to kill his whole family," Sakura asked.

"I don't know," Kakashi responded. "Our third clue would be to try and get his memory back. Anyone can have the first two, but they won't have the memories of the boy's or the Uchiha, especially the boy's memories about the massacre. We have the first clue checked off, we need the last two and then and only then will our mission be complete."

"But the Fifth only gave us two weeks to complete this mission. What if we don't get to the last two by that time," Sakura asked.

"The Fifth don't know the conditions the boy is in, that is why I already sent a message stating our new situation. She should understand."

"And if she doesn't," Sai asked.

"Then we will need to hurry. If she is only given us two weeks, then we got two weeks, memories or no memories."

Shin sat up in bed, a scream reaching his throat but it never left. His bed sheets lie soaked with his sweat and tears; his body shook violently as wave upon wave of panic attacks surrounded his body. This was the worst one yet, but he still didn't understand, he didn't want to understand why he was having these dreams, no nightmares of terror. They weren't real, but they felt real and deep down he know that they were real. He shook his head, "No, no, please, they're not real. They're not."

His door burst open and his mom and dad walked in. Ayame once again, like every time took him in her arms and rocked him slow to shush him of his bad dreams. Kiyoshi once again asked him what his dream was about. He never says a word, they weren't real, and he didn't want to remember his dreams. He doesn't want to remember them at all.

Sakura sat up in bed. She heard the noise of a door slamming opened and people talking. It was her ninja instinct telling her to go investigate, but before her feet touched the floor, she heard a voice.

"Go back to sleep, Sakura," Kakashi said, lying on his back, arms folded under his head. "It's only the boy."

"What's happening," she asked.

"Nightmares, he's just having nightmares."

She watched as her sensei closed his visual eye and took a deep breath. She climbed back under her blankets and closed her eyes, but she didn't go back to sleep.

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**AN: **How was it? Thanks for sticking with me and my lack of updates. Review to tell me what you thought or just to say hey, that always helps my ego, Hehe. Pretty Please.

Next update should be up, Saturday.


	8. The Uchiha Power: Everyone Wants It For

**AN: **Sorry for the delay, but I was up and ready for it to be put up yesterday, but every time I tried login in, it would say the system was busy with traffic, I didn't know what that was, but I couldn't log in.

Anyway, here's where the whole plot is summed up and what is foreshadowed for the upcoming chapters. Like I said earlier, this will be an action-pack story, with **violence**, **chasing**, **fighting**, of course, and just for the kicks of it, maybe some **blood**, ehehehe.

I also want to thank everyone who reviewed, keep them coming.

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Chapter 8

The Uchiha Power: Everyone Wants It for…

The Uchiha clan was once a powerful clan, a rare breed to have ever walked the earth. Everyone wanted to be one, there were others who wanted to possess one. The only problem was that there was only two left.

One was an S-ranked criminal, powerful at the beginning of age and the cause for the downfall of the clan, itself. He was a prodigy. Someone already destined to overcome, over-power anyone, no one could set there hands on that one, he was that powerful.

The other one, young, missing, not yet in his prime in possessing his full Uchiha powers, but could and he would and that's what made it so dangerously wanting, so dangerously attractive because everyone wanted it.

Whoever wanted it knew that the oldest one, the most powerful one was not obtainable, but the youngest one, he could be. He could be so easily manipulated, taken advantage of because of his innocence and his vulnerability. To have an Uchiha on one's side was a big achievement…it was an achievement to power and prominence.

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There were times where some people could handle their jobs…the business of their work. But there were some people who could not handle the cruelness of one's work. A shinobi's job was to be a tool, to get the job done no matter what happened. If one was a strong person than the job was easy, they knew when to close up what was pure and beating in their soul, that's what made the job easy. But if that person was weak, incapable of closing that part of them, then their job was unbearable. A shinobi sees a lot of things, they did a lot of things and well, that was all part of being a tool. Sacrifice whatever there was …body, soul, mind, spirit… and do what was ordered of you and get it done.

Those who were weak, buried what they could not on missions through other actions… drinking, maybe a long walk, maybe a little talk here and there with a friend shinobi, or maybe a companion for one night, but drinking was a form of release to set the mind, body, spirit, etc., at ease. Now every shinobi knew that there were some who could handle a shinobi's way and that there were some who could not handle that part in being a shinobi, some could adapt…it was okay…as long as the job was done, it was all right. But if a shinobi was under the advisement of the Fifth and just so happened to hear that an Uchiha was found in Destiny Village and got drunk one night, than it wasn't okay. Drinking and openly blurting out that the missing Uchiha was found…was defiantly not okay. It was foolish, more than foolish, it was careless and a shinobi could not be careless.

Careless because of his drunken action, those whose minds weren't clouded by booze and sake overheard his confession, knowing that some truth could come from it. And through this truth those people took heed and spread the news to those who would listen.

And then those people told other people and then _those_ people told others, thus beginning the spreading of words.

**Greed**

"No…no please. I swear I'll pay the money, please," an old man begged the two ruffians sent by the man who he hasn't paid for any of his gambling bets. He usually pay upfront when he would either won or lost a fight, but these pass four weeks, his money has been coming in slow and he had to pay for his family's living and what was more important. But his greed for money kept him coming back for more in betting on fights that he would than loss and would continue to loss, until this moment where he would have to pay up or his life would end now, in an alley way, and his family would suffer because he was the one person in the household working.

"I swear, I will have the money next time," he pleaded.

"Your next times are up, it is time to pay or you can say goodbye to your precious family." The hooligans ganged up on the old man, ready to throw some hurtful pounding, when the old man blurted out something interesting.

"No, no…please, I'll do anything…I don't have the money, but…but…I KNOW WHERE THE MISSING UCHIHA IS," the old man ducked his head under his hands as to defend himself from the two brutes towered over him.

"What did you say," one of them asked.

"I-I'll d-do anything," the man stuttered.

The thug shook his head, no, "After that, about the missing Uchiha."

"Oh. I-I know where one is. I was t-traveling one day when a man told me that one was found. I think he said somewhere in Destiny."

The thugs frowned; they never heard of a place, the man could be lying. To make sure he wasn't, they ganged up on the man again, initiating a threat.

"Please, I'm telling you the truth," the man ducked and covered once again, pleading for his life.

Now, usually thugs weren't the smartest of the bunch, especially the big, muscular types whose main purpose were to beat the unfortunates. But these guys were smart, they knew that their boss would love to hear news like this and if it so happened to please their boss, than, it was great news for them, bonuses.

"Follow us," one thug announced and the other followed behind as they left the alley.

The old man hesitantly followed, hoping that what he just said was the truth.

In a big building somewhere outside of the old man's town sat a middle aged man. Time was good to him for he look nothing like his age. He sat in a large chair, legs crossed as he listened to the man's story. And he would probably not believe the old man, if he hadn't heard the news before by another person, claiming the same thing in the same predicament the old man was in.

"The last Uchiha, eh," the boss, Rye mused. "Where was this place again?"

Rye was a man of business, a man rich with the business he ran and what he does. Fighting was his expertise and he knew a great fighter when he met one, but he never had one that possess such power…the Sharingan. Having that much power on his fighting side could make him millions, make him powerful. He wanted that power, he wanted it badly.

He smiled at the thought forming in his head already.

"I want that Uchiha," he said to really no one in particular, but his point got across as his thugs ran out the room to gather some potential recruits.

They were going to make some money.

**Wishful Thinking**

Somewhere else, in a village struck with poverty and hopelessness, a man was telling one of the elders of their village of what he had heard on his travels from Konoha. He claimed that it was what they needed for their community, and the elder agreed.

The village of Summer's Field use to be a flourished town. It was bright with green grass and trees and brilliant blue lakes and rivers that flowed through the village with great wonders. It was a friendly community that saw no evil, nor heard, nor spoke of it. A place once called a safe haven for travelers and feudal lords to take rest and relaxation. Children use to run around and play together and they use to bring so much joy. But after a war that was between two nearby countries, the village of Summer's Field sat dying and gloomy. The war took their young and destroyed their land, leaving only the old and widowed women. Soon after, illness struck and many died, the last of their children from their village died, once again leaving no hope that the village will be flourished again.

But now there was hope, something not only obtainable, but promising.

"They say he is still young," the man told the elder. "His age is still of his prime but if we have him now, and have him grow of age, then we can rebuilt. Start over and be a village of beauty again and of recognition."

The elder just nodded his head, but there was still one problem, "How are we to get this boy, I'm sure others will be after him and as you know Tioshi, we have no army to battle for what we need."

"I know, but I can gather whoever is able and if we go now, there might still be a chance. I won't let you down; I won't let this village down, father."

Tioshi's father smiled at his only surviving son, his eldest, "I believe in you my son. I grant you the permission to find our only hope."

Tioshi bowed to his father and then set off to find willing men, mostly older men to help him on his mission in reviving his village.

"I won't let you down father, even if I have to die trying."

**Power**

Earth country shinobis stood in a group on mountain terrains. There were about twelve squads, two groups of Jonins and four groups of their own ANBU squads. They were the best of their village and their kage sent them to retrieve the missing Uchiha. News was given to them by an undercover shinobi hidden in Fire County to gather information about their activities, it was only pure chance that the undercover shinobi stumbled upon a drunken ninja who was appointed under the Fifth herself who told him of important news. He then told his leader and the leader gave order to take what was once Fire Country possession.

It was figured that if the Uchiha clan was as powerful as they say they were then why not has something that could make Earth Country just as powerful…by acquiring their very own Uchiha. And not just own one, but analyzing his eyes and duplicated it to spread among their, own country. They would become the most powerful country in the world, more powerful than Fire Country ever was. They needed that Uchiha; he was their source to greatness.

"Alright," the leader of the whole squad spoke. His name was Donsu. "If we head out now, we will make it within two to three days without rest. Be prepared for anything, we don't know if the boy is protected or not, we can't take that chance."

Being shinobis themselves, they had skills that require them to inquire a lot about their situation. They knew if a wanted person from one country was to be found, than a small undercover squad would most likely be there protecting or escorting what was theirs back to their country. And it was no doubt that others would be looking for the Uchiha as well, so they would need to be prepared for anything.

"And if it should come to anything, kill the Uchiha on sight, got it."

There were several curt nods from some and saluted 'Hai" from others.

"Alright, let's move out."

They all gathered their chakra to their feet and made it down the mountain towards the trees.

**Unfinished Affairs**

Somewhere far away…

A man ran through the shield of trees, running towards a cave. He had urgent news that was of the utmost importance. When he reached the cave, two figures appeared before him. They were covered in darkness, but the man knew who they were.

He fell on his knees and bowed.

"I have news," he said to the two figures.

The figures didn't say anything.

"It's about a boy. There's news that he could be the survivor of the Uchiha clan. I over heard some ninjas talking about it in a village called Destiny."

The man finally looked up to face the two figures. He saw horror… for one of the two eyes glowed of the fierce shade of red that he has ever seen.

The eyes of Itachi Uchiha

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**AN: **Oh, no, Itachi now knows about his brother. Man, trouble is coming to our favorite team so quickly, what are they going to do? (Wicked Grin).

Did this sum up the plot for you guys, I hope it did. There will be more to it later on in the chapters, but for right now this is what it will come down to, everyone wanting the Uchiha Power. I think that's what some meant by the Sharigan being a curse among the clan, but it could mean something else, but that was my take on the curse part.

Anyway, review and let me know what you think, I wouldn't mind reading your thoughts. Please and thank you.


	9. Protection & Deception

**AN: **Sorry for the long waited update, but I had a really good reason, well two actually. First, I wanted to get my english essays done, and well, school comes first, sorry. Secondly, I had two chapters written out for this fanfic and while in the middle of writing chapter 10, I realize that I could shorten this up a bit.

So I figure why not combine two chapters into one...it would be a lot quicker in getting into the best parts for the plot and it would be like a jump-start to the action scenes.

So in doing so, I cut, edit, paste, rewrote, and re-editted a couple of times until I came up with this for Chapt. 9. I like it and I left in the good stuff that was needed to be explained further down in the story.

The most important stuff includes... you just have to read it. I like it and I hope you guys will enjoy it as much as I did. And I really hope I did some justice in combining the two chapters.

Anyway, let me stop talking so you guys can start reading...**IT'S LONG**...so...

**ENJOY**

**Warning: **Language, yeah I got some foul words in here, but not too much, more like just one or two curse words so nothing too big, but I had to let you guys know, just in case.

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Chapter 9

Protection & Deception

It was in the afternoon when Shin woke up.

He walked into the bathroom, in the hall, and closed the door. Upon looking at himself in the mirror, he saw dark bags under tired eyes. He was drained; not being able to sleep a full night, for a week and two days could do that to a person. After his third nightmare of this week, he couldn't go back to sleep. He couldn't stand to have another one of those horrible dreams, and in doing so, he stayed up and watched his bedroom walls, hoping that boredom would help him go to sleep, peacefully. If that didn't work, before dawn broke he would turn over in his bed and pretend to sleep until the afternoon sun bothered him or until he heard his mother call him for breakfast. She always made his breakfast for him late, not wanting him to miss his three basic meals for no reason at all, not even for his sleepless wakes in the afternoon.

Running cool water over his face, Shin watched as the liquid dripped down his pale face. The small fluids moved slowly down to his chin until they fell off and onto the floor. He watched as they hit the floor in elaborate patterns and changed into a different color, a much feared color…red. It happened so quickly that Shin had to look twice. He glance up at the mirror in front of him and saw, not water, but blood.

_Please_ he heard a small voice in his head. _Don't kill me_,_ I don't want to die._

Shin squeezed his hand around the rim of the sink and closed his eyes. Every time, these… _voices_ would come to him in waking hours and make him see things that weren't really there. They were from missing nightmares he didn't wish to have during his nights spent staring at his walls.

"Stop," he told nothing, "Please, stop."

_Pathetic little brother…worthless_, this voice came at him with such malicious that it left him shaken with fear.

"Stop," Shin slammed his fist onto the counter, holding the sink, and opened his eyes. The blood was gone, water dripped nonchalantly down his face like nothing had happened. He turned his eyes away from the mirror and dried his face. He sigh a relief and went on to brushing his teeth. When he was finished with his bathroom tasks, he walked out of the bathroom as if nothing had happened. And it didn't, nothing had happened because it wasn't real; none of it was, not to him.

Kakashi looked out the kitchen window, drinking a nice cup of coffee as he watched Shin plant some seeds in the front garden. Him and his team has been with the Unomis for about two days now and there was still no word from Tsunade about her receiving his message and if she wanted them to continue with the two weeks here or quickly bring the boy to Konoha because of the situation. Truthfully, Kakashi wanted the mission to last its original two weeks; it was enough time to gather information: If the boy was only pretending to not know about his past, if the boy really _is_ the Uchiha, Kakashi still had some doubts about that notion, and if the Unomis really are who they say they were. They brought so much suspension towards Kakashi that he guessed it could be because of their nice nature, but he felt as though it was something else, something much more than what they lead on. He felt uneasy when he was around them and it never left him whenever they would smile at him and his team or when they would offer them to stay one more night, or when they would just sit at the dinner table in silence and eat a well-cooked meal. No, something definitely didn't feel right about them two and Kakashi was determined to figure that out before this mission was over.

He also wanted the time to spend with the boy, he wanted the boy to trust him more than anything, because if he really is an Uchiha than, Kakashi really wanted that connection. To know that the Uchiha, still alive and not a criminal, has his forgiveness and his acceptance for taking something that really didn't belong to him. He wanted so badly to have someone to protect and not let down because of his failure, yeah, he had his students and he would protect them with his life. He told them that so many times and it never lost its value. And he wanted to put that value on the boy because then he would know that he accomplished something else for Obito, by protecting his family.

Yeah, two weeks was enough time for that connection to build, hopefully. And hopefully the boy would trust him enough too.

He sipped another mouthful of his coffee before turning around, away from the window to watch his team at the table, snacking on some fruits. He sat down next to them and focused his attention on the female member of the Unomi family. She was washing the dishes at the time, her back turned to him and his team, humming a melody about a small bird's journey on its own. Kakashi recognized it from listening to other mothers singing that song to their children while he walked the streets of Konoha.

"Ayame, may I ask you something personal," Kakashi ventured.

Ayame dried the last dishes before turning towards Kakashi, giving all her attention to him.

"Sure," she smiled. "What is it you want to ask me?"

"I've noticed that Shin doesn't have some of the same features as you nor your husband, Kiyoshi. Was he adopted or was he a friend's child you're watching over?"

His team stopped their eating, noticing that the time for information was important and Kakashi was initiating it.

Ayame smile faltered a little, but she quickly covered it up with a much tender smile than before. She looked out the window Kakashi was looking through earlier and traveled across the room towards it.

"We found him…," she told him as she watch her son finish planting seeds and was now picking through the vegetable garden for some ingredients for the restaurant. "…Outside Destiny's district, he was barely alive."

She smiled, sadly as the memories of that day appeared.

"He was so pale and small; I thought he was already dead."

"You obviously nursed him back to health seeing that he is here now, alive," Kakashi pointed out.

Ayame turned back to her guest and smiled, "Yes, that is true." But the smile didn't last long as she went to sit down at the table across from the ninjas.

"Was there something else," Kakashi took notice of the expression change.

Like she was in a trance, Ayame snapped out of it and glanced back at Kakashi.

"I'm sorry, what was the question again," she asked.

"Nothing, never mind," Kakashi said. He could tell that the subject was getting more personal than he intended but at least he was getting somewhere. Maybe if he sneaked in one more question, but something simple, not too bearing for the woman.

"Did anyone come looking for him," he asked.

"No, no one came looking for him," she answered.

"Have you tried searching for someone who might have lost him or have you sent out poster of his whereabouts just in case someone was looking for him," Sakura asked.

There was a silent paused for a moment before Ayame sighed. She stood to leave the room only to come back with a folded paper in her hand. She handed it to Kakashi, where he unfolded the sheet and looked over it. It was a poster describing Shin and where to find him, stating that if anyone was looking for him, contact the Unomis.

"That's the only copy we made," she said after she sat back down, looking everywhere but at them.

Kakashi passed the paper among his students as he listened for Ayame to continue.

"He was young and frightened when we took him in. There were times he kept hiding away from us, crying in a corner. It took him three days to really stop weeping and get use to us."

She smiled as another memory appeared, "He ran away a couple of times, only to come back trembling, not knowing where else to go, but back to us."

"You got attached," Kakashi sighed, he wasn't asking, he was stating the obvious.

Ayame finally looked up towards the team, tears glistened her eyes.

"I can't have children of my own and when Shin…when he came, it was like a blessing, a son for me and Kiyoshi. Someone we could take care of and feed as if he was our own," she cried.

"But someone had to be looking for him, his real family. What about…" Naruto said only to be interrupted.

"Well, they didn't," Ayame shunned. "They obviously didn't care about him or else he wouldn't have run away. They would have been looking for him if they _did_ care."

She started crying, covering her face with her trembling hands.

"Sorry, we didn't mean to offend you," Kakashi comforted. He knew the real reason why she was crying. She knew that the boy could never be hers and she was finally admitting it to herself, be it told to her millions of time or mentally seeing that she would have to let the boy go when he was ready was a burden for her, she would have to let go of her own reasons for keeping the boy here with her and her husband and set the boy free…her son free.

Ayame shook her head, no, "No, no I'm the one who should be apologizing. You are my guest and I'm the one being rude."

"We understand," Kakashi said after a moment. He didn't want it to get this far and he really didn't mean for the woman to cry. But it was tempting somehow, in a way, to see the woman breakdown over the boy. _What_ _this would mean when we would have to take the boy away_, he thought while figuring the situation in his head. _How would she cope then…how would the boy feel then?_

Just then, the back door opened and Shin walked in, carrying a basket of fresh vegetables. He saw his mother crying and quickly set the basket on the counter to run over to her.

"Mom," he worriedly asked. He snuck a glance at Team 7 and their sensei before encasing his mother in his arms, glaring at the other persons in the room with her.

"I'm fine, Shin, don't worry about me. You got those seeds planted and those vegetables I asked you to pick," she stated wiping the tears from her eyes and getting up from the table. She turned to face her son, watched as he nodded his head, yes, and brushed her hands over his pale cheeks and smiled. He was so over-protective when he saw her cry.

_Why_, she would always ask herself. Ever since he stepped foot into their house he was always guarded towards them and of other people. It only took her a week's time to realize that his protectiveness towards her and her husband was because he felt safe around them and he wanted them to feel the same way. But when a stranger appeared or when others came over, whether they were friends or acquaintances, he would always shield himself away from them. He would keep to himself, watching, suspecting, and alarming at times. Sometimes, she felt that he wasn't his self during those moments and it frightened her. Seeing how he would change from different emotions from one thing to the next, and then confusion, it was always confusion in which her son would end with and then anger…so much anger.

"Really, Shin, I'm fine." She kissed him on the forehead to ensure him before walking to the counter to pick up the basket of vegetables and carried them over to the sink, where she started to wash them.

"Why don't you wash up, I'll have lunch ready in a little while," she said not turning her eyes away from her task.

Shin stared at his mother's back, wondering just what went on while he was out.

"Sure," he whispered softly as he turned to leave out the room, but not before he snuck another glare at their guest, showing his dislike towards them.

Later that afternoon, Kakashi thought it was a great time to train with his team. The sun was setting so it wasn't as hot and the wind was lightly blowing so it was somewhat cool. It was a perfect time to get in some practice. He twirled a kunai around his index finger as he watched his team get into position.

"Alright," he started. "I want you all to come at me with all you got. Got it?"

They nodded their heads and took on a more definite stance.

"And remember, no chakra," he silently warned, giving them all pointed looks. "We don't want other ninjas knowing where we are."

Naruto was the first to attack. He came at Kakashi with three kicks aiming at different vital sites, Kakashi blocked all three. When his wrist blocked one of Naruto's fists, Sakura came at him from behind while Sai came at him from his right. They both kicked out towards his head, in which, he shoved Naruto out of the way to duck and quickly moved to another location. He was behind them now and he sent three shurikens their way, in which they jumped out of the way to send him their own sets of shurikens. He once again, moved away to dodge them, then reappeared in the same spot and attacked.

He took down Naruto first with a jab to the neck area, immobilizing him momentarily, and then used that time to take care of the others. Sakura dodged his attack at first, with Sai trying to distract him with his own sets of attacks. He would throw a punch towards Sakura, she would block, Sai would come at him with high kicks and he would dodge them, and Sakura would throw a kick or a punch and it would start all over again.

Naruto was out of his brief stiffness to advance on him from behind and then there were three against one again.

Sakura aimed for his neck, while Naruto also aimed, with a round kick, for his neck, and Sai kept him distracted enough for the punch and the kick to reach just inches away from his neck before he blocked both hand and ankle and kicked Sai in the gut, sending him to the ground. He then spun around throwing the remaining two to the ground as well.

"You could do better," he told his group, not breaking a sweat to show for his efforts in defeating his team. "Let's see if you can improve." And then the fighting continued.

Shin watched from the small porch, waiting for his father to show up from work like he did everyday, and contemplated. He's seen fight like this before, but from where he couldn't remember. He so anxiously wanted to join to prove something, but afraid of somehow knowing he wasn't compatible –good enough- for that kind of fighting but still wanting to join, and confused because it all seemed familiar. So familiar to a scene in his head that he whispered a nostalgic, "Teach me." Asking someone, in his head that he knew and cherished… and envied.

He was so trance into the recollection that he didn't realize that his father had already made it up the path, to the house, greeting his guests and questioned him.

"Teach you what," he asked, snapping Shin from the clouded memory. Shin didn't answer at first just looked up at his father and stared. For a while now, he's been questioning a few things but he would never get an answer, always a question from the man before him. He felt the need to reach out to his father, but afraid of being reprimanded, lied to, or pushed away.

_Why_, he thought. Everything was so clear one minute then disappointingly confusing the next. And familiar feelings and thoughts would come to him in flashes leaving him to wonder what they all meant when they would disappear and would be replaced with this present, this reality. What should he trust in, now? He was stuck; more ways than one denying what truly to accept as true in his thoughts and feelings.

Like this woman, a short image so ambiguously unclear in his head, was strong spoken, she was firm in more ways than one when it came to reading people and trying to keep a happy home. She had long beautiful black hair, pale skin, just like him, and a wonderful elegance and strength about her. She smiled, she cried, and she worried for something, it was still unclear for him to understand. It was the same way with this vague man in his head as well. The man was stern, not much of a father-figure but he was made suitable. He had black hair, his skin was slightly darker in shade than his own and he was resolved in posture. He frowned on many occasions, demanded only the best for his family, and he was worried as well, something else that puzzled him too, not knowing what it was, because both mirages were worried about something. But this man confused him, he felt uncomfortable when his image would appear in his thoughts and he would feel somewhat inadequate. But it would change on many circumstances and he would feel a combination of shame, love, rejection, and acceptance when it came to this man. But he knew them, on some familiar, although unsure, certainty, he had known those two people and spoke with them, touched them…loved them, but how he knew this, he wasn't sure and it baffled him not knowing how.

But with the people he's recognizable with as _his_ mother and _his_ father, he knew they were the ones he should believe in. His mother was somewhat the same as the woman in his head, black hair, pale skin, kind. She was soft spoken, more out of politeness than anything. No form of hardship had touched her like it did with the woman in his thoughts. His mother was always happy, always smiling, always…enjoying life; she didn't have to worry about anything but his well-being and he loved her. And his father, the man he's _so_ familiar with, he was completely different than that of the man in his head. His father was stern, yes, but he was gentle and he was a father-figure by no other means necessary. He had black hair too, although gray showed early around his edges, his skin was tan and his posture was bent by poor stances and hard working hours. He smiled, he laughed, and he knew what was best for his family in all situations…showing affection. It was so easy to understand this man because he knew when he was being accepted, he knew when he was being cherished when he did something good, and he definitely knew when he was being loved. This man he could see and not be afraid to touch was real; he was who he should believe in. But there were these feelings and thoughts that preoccupied his head telling him that they weren't his, and it scared the hell out of him because, it didn't make sense, he knew they were always there for him for here and for now. What else was he to believe but to think, no, to know that they were his parents, they're right there where he could touch them, love them, breath in the scent of them when he hugs them, but would shamefully recognize, more unconsciously so, that they smelled differently, looked differently… made him feel differently. But he would hold on to them no matter what; because they were there…he could touch them…hold on to them.

"Shin," his father asked, looking concern. "What do you want to be taught?"

Shin blinked, feeling tired, a little annoyed, and confused, always confused.

"Nothing," he answered his father, putting on a smile and dropping it just as quickly as he put it on. "I'm going for a walk. Tell mother I'll be back before dinner, okay." Shin got up from the porch, slowly walking down the path that lead to the wooded trail towards the Sakura trees and pond. Stealing a glance over at his so-called guest, he spotted the teacher once again blocking his students' attacks and knocking them down onto the ground. The teacher then looked over at him, where their eyes met for the briefest of moment. Shin frowned and looked away; remembering that they were the ones who made his mother cry and they were the ones who brought new thoughts into his head, confusing thoughts, the ones most difficult to deal with.

In town at Destiny's inner gates, Tioshi and three other men accompanying him, the rest of his men were left outside to wait for orders from their made leader to come back with news.

Tioshi was a kind man. He was viewed as a respectable man in his village and he always treated people with kindness. It made people trust him easily; it made it easy for them to talk to him. So that's why the gatekeeper was so kind to talk with Tioshi when he questioned him.

"Excuse me, sir, but can I ask you a question," Tioshi kindly asked.

The gatekeeper was in a good conversation with a few of his buddies at the moment, but one look at the kind young gentleman in front of him had him smiling.

"Sure what can I do for'ya?"

Tioshi politely smiled, walking closer to the man and his friends.

_Start with small talk_, Tioshi reminded his self. _That's the polite thing to do_.

"This is such a nice place from what I've seen so far," Tioshi started. "I've heard great thing about this place."

"Really," the gatekeeper questioned. "Destiny is such a small village; I'll be surprise if the five kages have heard of this place."

"Really, I guess I got my information mixed up, but I'm glad that I stumbled upon this place."

"Glad to hear that young man."

"Please, sir," Tioshi smiled confidently. "I've been on this quest to find a person, a young boy actually. And well, I've searched everywhere, but this place, of course. And since I've been traveling for so long I thought you could help me in shortening my travel time by answering a few questions for me."

"Oh, okay."

Tioshi smiled brightly, _got him_, he thought.

"Well, this boy, I'm looking for, he's young, around twelve or thirteen years of age. He has black hair and eyes. I've believe he too has pale skin. He could have recently showed up here in this village, maybe…let's say, about four years ago, have you seen such a person."

The gatekeeper pondered for a moment. He seen a lot of young boy around that age with those features run around the village but someone recent, it wasn't coming to mind, until…

"Hey, didn't Unomi Kiyoshi and his wife recently took in a kid four years back," one of the gatekeeper's friends voiced. "I think they called him Shin."

"Yeah," the gatekeeper was now remembering. "Yeah…that's a nice family, but what do you want with the kid? Did he do something wrong?"

"Oh, no, no, no, he did no such thing. Actually, he ran away from our village and we've been searching for him for the longest. It's just we were so worried about him, not knowing where he was for so long, and well, you know my point," Tioshi kindly explained.

"I see," the gatekeeper nodded. It sounded like the man really knew the boy, but he wouldn't think it would be right if he gave the man any further information, at least, not until he asked Kiyoshi first. The restaurant owner seemed so happy with the boy; he wouldn't want to be the cause for his unhappiness.

"Tell me, sir, do you know where I can find where this Mr. Unomi lives," Tioshi asked.

"Well, uhm…I don't know…I should…"

"Please sir, I just want to know if the boy is okay, I missed him so much and to know that he was in good hands would be a relief, believe me, but I would like to see it for myself, so please can you grant me this one request."

The gatekeeper pondered again, the man in front of him does seem sincere, maybe he should…

"Well, since you put it that way, I guess I can tell you where Mr. Unomi lives."

Tioshi smiled, _Perfect_, he thought.

"I'm glad to hear that, now… where can I find this Unomi person."

Meanwhile, three men sat bruised and beaten at a restaurant outside the walls of Destiny. They tended to their aching bodies with cool glasses filled with water, every now and then complaining about how they got beaten by one man, single-handedly. There names were Fudo, the so-called leader of the group, Jiro, the middle man, and Kanaye, the follower of the group. Most of their lives were growing up scamming people, stealing, and living on the streets, never before had they ever been unsuccessful in the things they did, well up until now. Two days ago was the day they failed at anything they planned out to do. If that ninja hadn't come in like he did and beaten them, they were pretty sure they would have left out of that restaurant, proud, with money in their pockets, it was too bad it didn't turn out that way.

"Freaking ninja, who does he think he is, sneaking into the joint like he owns the place," Fudo complained, nursing his eye with his glassed water. "If he didn't sneak up on me, I could have taken him."

His followers just nod their heads, Jiro wincing as the bump in the back of his head throbbed a little.

"What are we going to do, now," Kanaye asked, he was also the youngest of the group. "We have no money and I'm hungry."

"Don't worry, I'll get us something in our stomach," Fudo answered, looking around the restaurant for potential prey. "I just need to find the right target."  
Suddenly the front door to the restaurant burst opened and two large men stepped in, stepping to the side to let a man pass through who sported a suit. He was looking at the residents in the eatery with distaste and he sneered at them. He walked to the center of the place and looked around some more. Belittling everyone he made eye contact with, with a frown and a roll of his eyes.

An empty table caught his attention and he walked over to it, kicking its chair out from under the table and sat down in it. He casually crossed his legs at the ankles, while the room remained silent at his convenience.

He picked up a glass, already filled with water and twirled it in his hand.

"I'm looking for a boy," Rye started. "He is of great importance to me. I will reward anyone a large sum if you know of his whereabouts." He took a sip from his glass and slammed it back onto the table, getting back up, glaring at everyone in the room.

"He's very unique, the boy I'm looking for, although his features are of those of average citizens, he possess a special gift within the eyes. He's young, maybe at the age of thirteen, black hair, black eyes, and pale skin. That's all you need to know."

Rye sent another glare towards the people in the commercial place. Intimidation was his best asset; it got him what he wanted from people, and it made him superior. And he knew everyone knew what an Uchiha looks like. They may be rare now, but they weren't infamous for nothing. He figured if he gave little but hinted just a bit, and threaten just as forcefully, than someone would tell him something, and if not, there was always other ways of getting information from people…his two escorts were very good with getting information out of people, whether they be children, women, or men, someone had to know something.

"I know who you are looking for," a person from a corner table announced. He was young, had brown hair, light tan skin, his two buddies next to him look similar, although one had a much darker shade of brown while the other one had somewhat of a sandy type of brown.

"Fudo, what are you doing," Kanaye whispered, nudging his brother for his attention, but Fudo just ignored him. He knew exactly what he was doing. He heard a "large sum" of what he could only assume to be money and a scam emerged in his head. This was the perfect opportunity to get money into his and his brothers' pockets…easy money. All he had to do was tell the man a lie and they would be rich. But being a scam artist as he was, he knew a lie without proof was nothing, especially by the man in the suit standards. So that's when he thought about the couple at the restaurant, two days ago, and that they had a son with similar features as what the man just described. The boy may not be who he was looking for, but hey, what did he care, he just wanted the money.

"Yeah, I know who you're looking for," he made clear as the man in the suit walked over to his table.

Rye leaned over the boy under him and narrowed his eyes. The boy looked beaten, somewhat nervous and confident.

He liked that. He smirked and nodded his head towards the door, "Let's take this outside," he then walked away from the boy and out the door, his two ruffians were right there behind him.

Fudo got up to leave when a hand grabbed onto his wrist, stopping him. He looked down to see Jiro's hand.

"What _are_ you _doing_? You don't know who he's looking for," he stated, tightening his hand around his older brother's wrist. "You're going to get yourself killed."

Fudo smiled, "And haven't I've been in worst situation, brother? Believe me. I know what I'm doing." He snatched his hand free from his brother's grip and hurried out the door.

By the time he existed down the front door, a hand gripped around his throat and slammed his squirming both up against the building. Fudo looked to see the hand belong to one of the big guys accompanying the man in the suit and braced himself as the man raised a fist and slammed it into his stomach, releasing his grip around his throat, causing him to fall to the ground, gasping.

"I don't like to be toyed with," Rye said appearing from behind his goon. "I like for my business to be smooth and exactly the way I want it." Rye squat down so he was eye level with the winded young man. "Now, I'm giving you time to really tell me the truth before my co-worker here," he pat one of his followers on the shoulders, "breaks all your fingers for even thinking you could lie to me and get away with it."

Rye stood as one of his thugs slam the young man onto the ground with a fist to the back, while the other one grabbed at his hand and gripped at his pinky finger, "The smaller fingers always hurts the worst," he stated as he pulled the finger back just enough for it to be painful.

"Ahh," Fudo squirmed. "I'm telling you the truth," he wasn't giving up on this, he could still convince them, even if it meant getting a few fingers broken for them to actually believe him…he would do anything for money.

A crackling snap was heard afterwards as his baby finger was pulled back completely, tearing jointly apart from the rest, it hung loosely next to his other fingers as he tried holding in his cries as his ring finger was being pulled back.

"Are you," Rye asked, "Because right now all I hear in bullshit. Maybe I still need convincing."

Another finger snap and his middle finger was pulled back, painfully.

"Ahhh, please, believe me, I know where the boy is," Fudo panted. "My brothers and I ran into him a few times, a boy, he was fast. He took us down single-handedly when we tried stealing from him." He might as well fabricate his story a little; tell some truth, some lie. He remember when the man said something about the boy being unique and the way the man dressed and handled things, he could only assume that the man was involved in some kind of illegal business…

_Drugs_, he thought at first, but what that had to do with the boy, it had to be something else. _Prostitution_, he thought next, the boy could have been a unique asset to the man in that career, but it was unusual for the boss or pimp to travel for a runaway prostitute, usually he sent just his followers. _Fight Clubs_ was his next thought, and that seemed to fit the man perfectly. A lot of the fight club system, especially the owner or profiteer would like to see his goods before buying them, he's been in the illegal business long enough to know what was what, so maybe he was correct with his fib when he said the boy was the cause for him and his brothers beaten and unruly state.

"That's enough," Rye said, taping his thug on the shoulders, telling him to release the young man.

Fudo's hand was release and he cradled his hand, along with the broken appendages. He stood up on wobbly legs, keeping his hand close to his body.

Rye walked up to him and wipe some dust off his shoulders, "Now, tell me where the boy is," he wrapped his arm around Fudo's shoulder. Rye leaned the young man towards him until he had the boy in a chokehold.

"Destiny's a small town, everybody knows where everyone lives," Fudo grunted, feeling the hold around his neck tighten. "My brothers and I were scouting this restaurant and its owner. They have this boy, a son; they say… who's only twelve or thirteen. We followed once to their cabin, unnoticed to them, outside Destiny's walls," the hold around his throat tighten, he had to cough to get air through his throat. "I know where it is. Please, I'm telling you the truth." _Because I want that money_, Fudo kept telling himself, it helped with the pain going through his throbbing fingers and his hand. The hold tighten, until Fudo couldn't breathe at all. He struggled around the grip against his throat for a full minute before the hold was gone and he was once again on the ground, panting for air.

"You got guts kid," Rye laughed as he walked in between his two men and crossed his arms.

"Get your brothers. You're coming with me to get my prize," he then turned, his men following close behind, "Meet me at the road towards Destiny, I want you to meet my other men who will be accompanying us. I'm sure they would love to meet our new travel guides."

And with that said, Rye and his goons walked away.

The last sliver of the sun peeked over the hill, slowly setting completely to bring upon the night.

_Tonight_, Fudo thought _is going to be very interesting_. He then smiled and walked back into the small restaurant to retrieve his brother.

They would need to hurry or they wouldn't get paid.

* * *

**AN: **So now the Greedy Rye and his group have a much greedy Fudo and his brothers on there side. I tell ya' that wasn't planned, but it fit, so I kept it there. I hoped you guys understood that Fudo and his brothers were the guys that tried robbing Unomi and his family that one night, when our hero (sigh) Kakashi came to the rescue them, it was noted in this chapter that Kakashi beat them up, yeah after he knocked them out, he beat them up and told them to never come back...it wasn't in that chapter but it was mention here, except for that whole him telling them to never come back part...he just did that whole beating them part...and kicking them out, part...yeah...ehehehe

So anyway, how did you like it, long, huh, I don't think I could do another one, but if I'm motivated enough to do it and not be so lazy to write long chapters, I just might do another one...that's a BIG might.

Anyway, how was the characters, I'm satisfied I put that part about Shin's difficulty in what to believe in, I think it helps with how the whole Acute Stress Disorder might works, you know, confused because you have these repressed memeories trying to come back but you don't want them to, because they were so horrible...too much for one person to handle...and that's how Shin feels and it's confusing him because he don't know what to believe in because one thing is steering him this way while the next one is steering him this other way. Man, the mind does work in mysterious ways.

Anyway, I'm going to finally go, but PLEASE REVIEW to let me know what you thought about it. Pretty Please.


	10. Expect the Unexpected

**AN: **Sorry about the long wait but I had exams and that left me lazy to even write another chapter, but I did promise under Chap.13 of _Control is Everything_ that I would make it up to you guys with a long chapter...and I did so here you go. I'm happy with it and I hope you guys will too.

Sadly to say, this won't have a Yaoi relationship between KakaSasu, like I wanted it to...I just couldn't put it in, it wouldn't have worked with the whole plot anyway either. But they will have somewhat of a close relationship, like a brother/father-son/best friend/ whatever type of close relationship I could provide in this fic. But I will write one (Yaoi) one day and it will have all the KakaSasu glory in it...in fact, I got one already out, it is called _Alluring Reaction_, it's my first so please be kind if you read it.

Enjoy

* * *

Chapter 10

Expect the Unexpected

It was already nightfall by the time he reached the pond; he was always ending up here on tough days. It was easier for him to clear his mind and relax, he needed it, and his body needed it too. He lied down in the thick grass closer to the pond and look up at the dark sky. The stars were much clearer here than they were at home, they sparkled and shimmered along with the moon and brought a tranquility about them that made Shin sigh longingly and closed his eyes.

He felt around his surrounding, it was silent tonight, but the trees sung with the wind as it breezed over him and back again. Nothing was more relaxing than this and for that, Shin was grateful.

Taking another sigh, Shin opened his eyes and peered up at the dark blue above. He thought about what happened earlier today, and how it bothered him so.

He was old enough and just a little bit wiser, now than he used to be back four years ago and well, he wanted answers. But the only problem with that notion was could he handle them about his past? And would it be worth it to know and if told the answers would it really be the truth, because if he couldn't remember his own past, what made him think that asking his parents and receiving an answer from them would be the truth.

But it should, they wouldn't lie to him, would they?

A shiver ran down his spine.

How would he know?

He shook his head from that thought, how could he doubt his parents when all they have been was good to him. They wouldn't keep secrets from him, never.

Oh, and the strangers, the teacher and his students, the so-called travelers, they knew something. He seen the way they looked at him when they thought that he wasn't looking or when they thought he was too naive to notice. The stares mainly came from the students more than the teacher, or what was it that they called him…sensei, but he noticed when he was being watched, he felt it. Since the first time he met them and so on, he noticed and he knew that they knew something. But of what, he did not know. He didn't want to asked them…was it from fear or his distrust in them, he did not know either, but one thing's for sure, they weren't telling the whole truth about why they were really here and that was unnerving.

He turned over on his side and faced the pond, the flowing liquid reflected the sky and it rippled with the wind. Reaching out, he put the tips of his fingers into the cool water and watched as he made small circles in it. He was supposed to be relaxing, but it proved to be impossible now, not with his head filled with so much questions and unguided facts and images.

Should he just forget his past and just live in the now, with his family and with memories he could remember?

….

….

….

That's what he wanted; it was much easier that way. Answers or no answers, maybe it was best that he did not know about his past? He lived without knowing for this long, a little longer wouldn't hurt.

….

….

….

But still, he wanted to know who he was and if those dreams really were true, he needed to know.

But…

He turned on his back again, and sighed.

_I'm suppose to be relaxing_, he told himself. _So relax and stop thinking_.

Another sigh and he closed his eyes again to listen to the wind and trees. It was soothing, and he did find relaxation, he let his muscles loosen and his mind free.

Yeah, no more thinking, just rest and relaxation.

The gatekeeper chatted as he and the travelers with him made their way along the wooded path, they seemed to have been walking for hours and some of Tioshi's men were already showing signs of impatient. If it wasn't by the old man who was guiding them than it's surely was the fact that they were almost close to what they wanted and excitement made them anxious. The one who showed the most intolerant out of all his men was his friend and second in command, Heru. Heru was a shinobi many years ago, in his prime as was he, but after everything that had happened in their village, he spent most of his time with what was left of his family and quit the shinobi occupation all together. Many of the older men in their village did the same, but the thing was that Heru was the best shinobi in their village, better than ten men put together. He took down two squads with his bare hands and lived to tell the day with hardly any cuts or bruises. But Heru never bragged about it, no, that was all his doing and Tioshi admire his friend for being so… modest, he guessed. But one aspect that Heru has that would surely be his downfall was his impatience. He lost a lot of good men with his careless decision to face the enemy head on and not have a plan of action, but he won a lot of them for the same reason as well.

"I hope, we get there soon," Heru voiced, edgily. "I hate having to wait."

"Patient, old friend, no need to worry, I feel that we will have the advantage here," Tioshi whispered, turning his head slightly to face his friend. Heru seemed agitated and a frown was fused on his face. Tioshi only smirk.

"Besides," he began. "We have more than enough men in case something does occur, and I'm sure you still have your old ways left in you."

The frown left Heru's face in record time as he reminiscence with his friend.

"I sure do," he stated. "I can't wait to show you just how much of my old ways are left in me."

They secretly smirked and nodded as the gatekeeper guided them along the path where they passed an opening through the trees that led to a pond.

"It's not too far from here now," the gatekeeper announced. "Just a few more strides and a left and we should reach the Unomis."

"I can't thank you more than enough, gatekeeper," Tioshi politely stated. "You have no idea how much this means to me and my village."

"Oh, no problem, young man, I'm just glad to help."

"Oh, you're helping alright," Tioshi whispered. "You're helping a lot indeed."

They turned a left into another path where moments later a cabin came into view.

Fudo was leading the way; his brothers were walking next to him, cautiously looking behind them at Rye and his men.

"I don't like this at all," Jiro whispered to his older brother. "Did you even think about this? The consequences, what if they find out that you were lying."

"Shush, you want them to hear you," Kanaye reprimanded. He may be the youngest but at least he had the common sense to keep his voice down, the men behind them were scary.

"You guys are going to get us caught before we even get paid," Fudo smiled, rolling his eyes afterwards at the disgruntle looks on both his brothers' faces. "I know what I'm doing, don't worry," he tried soothing their concerns, but it only made them angrier, well Jiro got angry.

"What?! Don't worry," Jiro huffed. "This is _way_ beyond our scope; you're going to get us killed and then what," he practically yelled at his older brother.

"Shush," Kanaye reminded them.

They each looked back at their followers and smiled reassuringly. Fudo even did an innocent wave. They didn't seem to have heard their conversation.

"Look, the sooner we get to the cabin, the sooner we get paid and loss these guys," Fudo stated. His brothers just sigh and left it at that. There was no changing his mind now; they would just have to deal with it. They just hope they won't get caught.

"We're almost there," Fudo yelled back at Rye and his men, smiling, he could almost taste the money, just a little bit further and they would be there.

Kakashi called it a day and him and his team went inside to freshen up, when they were done, glasses of cool water were made ready for them on the dinner table. Kiyoshi was sitting at the table, doing some inventory for the restaurant. He greeted them with a smile and a nod of his head.

"You were great out there," Ayame said as she set some dishes on the table. "I've never seen ninjas fight before. It seems so graceful, the way you moved like that. It's like you all know each others very well."

Naruto smiled, "Well, we have been together for a long time; we know everything about each other."

Ayame smiled at him and put a bowl of rice on the dinner table.

"Aren't we waiting on Shin," Naruto asked.

"Shin knows what time dinner is ready, he should be back any minute now," Ayame answered as she place some cooked fried fish on the table next to the rice.

A knock was heard at the front door.

"I wonder who that could be," Kiyoshi asked as he stood up from his chair and headed for the front door.

He opened it and found the gatekeeper.

"Roku, what are you doing here," Kiyoshi asked.

"Well, some travelers asked about your boy."

"Shin?"

"Yes, Shin."

Just then a man walked up behind the gatekeeper, others soon appeared afterwards.

"Mr. Unomi, do you have a moment," Tioshi smiled as politely as he could. He slightly pushed his way in front of the gatekeeper and extended a hand.

_Keep it cool_ he told himself, _no small talk this time_.

"I'm Tioshi and these are a few of my traveling villagers, I'm here to ask about your son. Is he here?"

Kiyoshi frowned and turned his attention to Roku, the gatekeeper, and then back at the man in front of him.

"What is it that you want with my son?"

"Well, he wants to make sure he is alright," Roku answered. "Shin ran away from their village and the folks there are just worried about him, they just want to see if he was in good hands."

Kiyoshi's frowned deepen, "Shin's not here at the moment, if you would like, I could tell him that you stopped by and send the message. And he's in _perfect_ hands."

This time it was Tioshi who frowned.

_He's not going to make this easy_, he thought. _Improvise._

"Well, we have been walking for days, is it alright if we could rest for a moment here and then we can be on our way," he politely asked, smiling smugly.

"Sure," a woman's voice said from behind the slightly closed door. It was Ayame. "I'm sure you're all tired, please come in, make yourself at home. I'm just getting dinner ready, but I'm sure I made more than enough for everyone," she stated as she opened the door wider for their new guest to come in. She was just a kind-hearted person, she could never say no to poor defenseless souls.

Tioshi smiled, smugly, at Kiyoshi before he entered the small cabin, he brushed the man's shoulder with his own and followed close behind the woman into the dinner/kitchen room area. His men were right behind him.

Upon entering the room, they noticed other people, a man and three young teens.

Kakashi and his team noticed the others who had just entered the room as well, a man and six others behind him.

All were thinking the same thing:

_Ninjas_

"Please take a sit, I'll get you all something to drink," Ayame stated as she disappeared into the kitchen, leaving the room thick with tension.

"Travelers," Kakashi didn't really ask, he just stated it. The men, they weren't really travelers and the other men knew the same about them too.

"I would ask the same of you, but I guess we already know _that_ answer," Heru answered. He was a big guy, who, from what Kakashi could tell had his share of battles, if the scars weren't the indicators than the stance and the aura was definitely a give away.

Silence took over again as the tension thicken and no one bothered to move.

"Since we are not travelers, we must be after the same thing," Kakashi calmly asked.

_Already, ninjas from other villages have found out about the Uchiha_, he thought. _If these ninjas already know that this boy could be the one, than who knows how many others may know as well._

"We're taking the boy," Tioshi forcefully whispered, getting to the point.

"Over our dead bodies," Naruto growled, standing up and slamming his fist on the table, shaking the many items on it.

Kakashi placed a hand on his shoulder, sitting him back down and silently telling him that this wasn't the place.

"We can't let you do that," he simply stated, keeping a close eye on the big one named Heru. He was twitching anxiously for some reason, whether to reach for a weapon or to give out a signal, he wasn't so sure, but he was ready for anything. He had his own weapon ready behind his back; his students were readying their weapons as well.

"He's a special asset to our village, we need him," Tioshi tried to reason, his voice firming by every second.

"As he is to our village," Sai answered then, no emotion graced his face but one could tell he was angry, if the tone of his voice didn't give it away.

The apprehension was becoming more and more intense; each word that passed their lips, each stare that they were giving each other was a movement carefully being watched. No one made any sudden movements, but each gave silent signals on who should watch who and no chances should be left unguarded.

Ayame came back in with drinks for her new guests, totally oblivious to the stand-off stares being made by both groups. She looked out the window and noticed how dark it was, she was becoming worried, "It's getting late, and Shin should have been home by now. I think I should go get him."

"No," Kakashi vigorously said, keeping his eye on his already made target or targets. "I'll send my students to go get him, you shouldn't worry yourself. I'm sure he just lost track of time." A quick glance at his students and they nodded their understanding.

Tioshi and Heru tensed; there was no way they could send some of their men without it looking suspicious to the woman and her husband. They would have to stay here, with the older ninja.

"Please hurry back, foods getting cold," Ayame yelled back at the leaving ninjas. She turned back to the remainders and smiled softly, she did notice how quiet things have gotten between the groups._ Shouldn't travelers have something to say between one another like discussing their adventures or journeys, which route was the fastest to get to one destination or which village was the best to visit_, she thought to herself.

She was now feeling uneasy.

Something didn't feel right.

Naruto, Sakura, and Sai leaped to the trees.

"We may want to hurry," Sai spoke. "There's no telling how many men these guys may have in the opening or surrounding area. They could already have Shin, but let's hope that's not the case."

Naruto and Sakura nodded their heads in agreement and put more speed in their leaps, they needed to hurry, and that was their main objective.

Kiyoshi walked in the room, after seeing the gatekeeper out the door and stood next to his wife. He placed his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. She stiffened, wasn't expecting it. He leaned over and whispered something in her ear, where her stiffening became more definite, she quickly looked up at her husband who nodded his head to insure her that what he told her was the truth. She looked over at the group of men in the dinning room and regretted letting them in so graciously. She made the biggest mistake of her life.

_They came to take her son away…she should have known._

Kakashi tightened his hold on his weapon as he saw Kiyoshi walked in the room. Now that made two people he would have to watch over and seven men to fight all by him self. He's sure he could handle them, there's no doubt about that, but he was more concern about his students and Shin.

Something didn't feel right, it was in the air. It wasn't just the auras coming from the other ninjas; there was something else, something not stable. All this negativity was closing in on this one place.

More were coming, that's what he felt, what he was still feeling. He just hoped…

His eyes flickered towards one of the men on his left who reached for something behind his back. They all were reaching for their backs…this could get ugly.

Shin walked down the path, head bow, and kicking at a pebble along the dirty trail. He stuffed his hands in his side pockets and sighed. He was so tired; he would most likely have to go to bed early tonight, maybe it would help in having longer sleep and putting his mind at ease for good, at least for tonight.

A snap was heard behind him, causing him to turn around quickly. He saw nothing out of the ordinary, but he did feel a little strange, like he was being watched. Glancing at every angle behind him and to his side, he shrugged his shoulders and slowly turned back around. But in doing so, he ran into a firm chest. He stumbled backwards but righted himself before he could fall to the ground. When he was sure he wouldn't fall over, he looked at whoever he had ran into. He found the three students who were staying at his home, standing there: Naruto, Sakura, and Sai.

"What do you want," he asked them, feeling kind of angry. He should have known that when he felt like he was being watched earlier, it had to have something to do with those three.

"We're you following me," he asked them firmly.

"No, we just got here," Sakura answered.

He didn't believe her, "Then why _are_ you here?"

"Uh, well, we just thought that we should go…uhm…into town," Naruto interjected, sheepishly. "You know, to look around and all. And we thought since you was already out here, you could show us around town." He needed to stall before Shin went home and going into town seem like their best bet.

Shin lifted an eyebrow as to inform them of his skepticism.

"It's late, I can show you the town tomorrow," he played along anyway as he walked pass the three teens to head home.

"NO," all three yelled, well Sakura and Naruto yelled. They grabbed Shin's wrist to stop him from taking another step, but Shin spun around and quickly yanked his wrist free from their hold.

"Don't touch me," he almost yelled. He knew it, they were up to something and they didn't want him to go home for some reason. Swiftly his whole body stiffened and he violently shook as panic struck him. A thought formed in his head, _W-What if they're here t-to kill my_… He pushed away from them, but stumbled this time on a tree root.

"Sorry, Shin but we…we're just…" Sakura looked to her teammates for help.

"We didn't mean to grab you like that, it's just that…well…you can't go home, yet," Naruto yelled the last part.

"Why," he asked them, panicking already from the sound of it. _Why can't I go home?_

"Because…" Naruto started, until…

"That's him, that's the boy," Fudo pointed at the boy on the ground.

Team 7 turned to look behind them, only to be faced with a large number of heavy, firmly, built men. Three men looked out of place in front, with one of them pointing at Shin, while there was one, in front of all of them in a suit.

They quickly took in the situation and stepped guardedly in front of Shin.

"And who wants to know," Naruto growled.

Rye stepped forward, "Me," he stated frowning at the hopeless teens as if they were something revolting under his nicely designed shoes. "And who might you be?"

They didn't answer the guy, figuring that he wasn't worth their time. Unbeknownst to the three, Shin shakily stood up behind them to get a better look, unsure of what to do. He was scared to even move or to speak.

Leaving felt like his best bet, but he was grounded with fear and not even being behind those who seem to want to protect him felt safe enough.

"You think they're here like the others," Naruto whispered to his teammates. Sakura and Sai didn't answer and that was good enough for him. But Shin did hear and in that moment he wanted to know just who the others were.

"Others, w-what others," but he knew the answer even if he kept denying it in his own mind.

"What do they want," he asked them. Sai turned to look at him, silently answering his question. He gave him a pointed look and that's what startled him more.

"Why," he deeply swallowed afterwards, backing away because the air was stifling around him, making it that much harder to breath. "Why would they want me?"

"The Uchiha… Give us the Uchiha and we will be on our way," Rye demanded.

And that was it for Shin, he wasn't sure if any of this was real. That name played so vividly in his dreams before so this must be one of them. He must be dreaming now, he must have fallen asleep while lying near the pond, and he just didn't wake up yet. He shook his head, hoping to wake his self up, he closed his eyes, hoping that when he opened them, he would be peering up at the stars, but none of that happened. He fell on his hands and knees and tried breathing in slowly, tried to calm his erratic heart beating, tried thinking of a way to wake up.

"Never…You will have to go through us first," he heard the blonde yell over to the huge group of men, and he shook, he shook so violently that he felt his insides shook with him because that moment, that very stifling, apprehensive, moment, he knew that he wasn't dreaming…this was real.

Everything became silent after that. Rye and his men stared furiously at the three, while the teens did the same. It was an intense moment of waiting, waiting for someone to make the first move. And someone did…

"Shin is that you," Shin and everyone else looked up to find the gatekeeper, Roku, standing at the turning path towards his home. "Your mother is looking for you and there are some people there who want to see you. They say…" he didn't get to finish. A circular blade was embedded in his throat, thrown by one of Rye's men. Roku stood for a moment, before his whole body went completely limp and he fell forward and hit the ground hard, blood still gushing from the open wound. And in that second for his body to hit the ground, a battle began between the thugs and three ninjas.

Team 7 divided their opponents the best way for their advantage, they were ninjas, and they could take down anyone and anything. But too bad, no one told them about Rye's men. Their first attack, they noticed that their hits and blows weren't having any effective result to anything that they hit. A punch to the stomach, the men didn't double over like they were suppose to, a spin kick to the back of the neck, and the men weren't thrown to their knees or knocked unconscious like the move were suppose to render them to, and all the vital signs they learned to hit a big opponent with had no results at all.

So they went with their second attack: weapons.

Naruto threw his kunai knives first, they hit their targets with accuracy and with speed to cut clean through a person's body with ease, but when they made impact with Rye's men's bodies, the knives just broke and crumbled into tiny pieces and dust. Again, Naruto tried again, but with more force, using chakra, and aimed for the vitals, the same results as last time. It was the same with their shurikens too. Sakura tried her explosive tags; she pinpointed two of them in between the large bunch. The explosives went off, smoke and heat burned everything it reached, but as the debris cleared, Rye's men came out unharmed, except for the patches of soot that littered their bodies.

Their next attack was with chakra based techniques. Naruto released his shadow clone jutsu, about five of them. Sakura build up chakra into her fists and Sai, well, he took out his ink brush and scroll. And the attack continued.

Shin continued to stare at the gatekeeper's body, oblivious to all that surrounded him. He continued to watch as the blood had stopped oozing from the old man's open throat, but he just couldn't look away. His panicking continued and his irregular breathing hadn't ceased once, but that was because he was seeing things again, hearing things too.

_None of this is real_, he kept telling himself that. _I'll wake up soon; it's j-just another dream._

But as he kept trying to enforce those thoughts into his head, a scream rippled through his mind, followed by an image of a man and a woman fallen over into their own blood, it was pooled around them. Those same people who were always in his thoughts and dreams. He covered his ears because the screaming was so intense and he tightly shut his eyes because the images were so vivid now. He couldn't make them stop; they weren't going away like they were supposed to. As they continued to play on and on in his head, those people, in his head were slowing forming into the people he knew now as his mother and father. It was their screams and their bodies he saw lying in their own pool of blood.

And that instant, he realized what was going on, he snapped out of it. But not before realization dawned on him that his parents were in danger. He had to get to them quick. Not paying any mind to what was surrounding him, he ran for the opening that led to his home, where he knew his mother and father would be, he just hoped he wasn't too late. He ignored the blonde and the pink-headed ninjas who called out for him to stop, that it was too dangerous, but he just continued to run as fast as he could to get home.

Ayame and Kiyoshi could do nothing but watch as the men continued to stare at each other; it was like any second, any false movement, and they would snap. The hesitation was beyond intense now, and the air was thickening with its nearing intent that all men possessed at the moment, it was becoming unbearable.

Kakashi kept his face calm and collected, even his body showed the same demeanor, it was just his grip on his weapon that showed any real anxiety in it. He wasn't afraid, it was just the waiting that got him so anxious, he was ready, he just needed a moment to start, he couldn't very much start the battle himself; he wouldn't of gain anything from it. If he started then them, the other ninjas, would know when, where, and how he would attack, and they would especially have the advantage seeing as though he was the only ninja going against them.

No, they would need to make the first move, so he could be ready and so that he could read their moves and know exactly when, where, and how they would attack. And someone up there must have heard him, because at that precise moment, Shin barged through the back door and entered the room. He was so out of breath that he couldn't get a word out, but he quickly cease that as he saw just how shattering he made the room become.

"The Uchiha," Heru said as he quickly made his way over towards Shin.

And that was the breaking point, Shin entering, Heru statement, it snapped everyone into action and that was Kakashi signal to begin.

About three of them ran towards Shin, to grab at what they so desperately wanted. Heru stopped short when he noticed Kakashi headed for the boy as well. Kakashi was in front of them before they could lay a finger on Shin and he aimed a fist to the middle one and a kick and a side punch to the ones on either side of the one in the middle, but his hits never made contact.

Somehow, he hit air on all three initial targets.

Somehow, they were too fast for him.

Two others came towards Shin and Kakashi was ready, he threw two kunais, they zipped through the air at both targets, but the two men were out of the way before the kunais made even a cut on either one of them.

Distracted by his two missed, the two men jumped in front of him. They swung their own kunais at him, both cutting him across the chest. Kakashi staggered, but he kept his footing. They both kicked out to knock him over, but Kakashi was quick enough to block those. Another man came between the middle of the two and spin kicked Kakashi in the chest, sending him backwards and falling onto the Unomis. He quickly picked himself up and he made it just in time to turn around and flip out of the way of a kunai that was thrown at his head. He didn't have time to right himself after that; three other men suddenly appeared in front and on either side of him and with speed that he couldn't even pick up, had him on his back and a kunai in his left arm. Kakashi didn't notice it until he tried to pick himself back up again.

_Such speed_, he thought _I can't keep up_.

"NO," he heard Ayame scream and he turned to see, Heru, he stood over the Unomis so he could bend over to pick up Shin by the collar of his shirt. Kiyoshi tried taking his son away from the man, but one powerful back hand across the face had Kiyoshi flying into an adjacent wall, where he was rendered unconscious.

"Please, don't take our son," Ayame pleaded.

Kakashi grunted, picking his self up, ignoring the pain in his arm, but before he could even stand up straight, more men speed over towards him. He blocked two quick punches before he was pinned down on the ground again, a kunai placed under his neck.

"It would seem we will be taking the boy after all," Heru mocked, Shin struggling under his hold, tearing his own shirt as he tried to pull away from the man holding him. "Kill him," Heru ordered.

"Hai," the one with the knife under Kakashi's neck said. Before the knife could graze Kakashi's neck, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke, only to be replaced with a log.

"A substitution," Heru said, alarmed and wondering where the real ninja could be at.

A kunai was placed over his neck and a voice said behind him, "Put the boy down." Heru obeyed, he dropped Shin who ran over towards his mother who was by his unconscious father.

"Now tell your men to back off," Kakashi ordered, but he kept _both _his eyes on all the men and Heru. And that's when he noticed one was missing, the other leader.

He heard Heru humph and with his Sharingan, picked up a movement beside him, he jumped out of the way before a sword could gut him.

Tioshi continued to swing his sword at Kakashi, he was fast and his movements were almost hard to pick up, if Kakashi didn't have the Sharingan.

Dropping his sword, Tioshi charged at Kakashi with a double side spin in the air where he kicked out over Kakashi's head, successfully hitting the Jonin on the shoulders. Kakashi grabbed the foot that was still on his now throbbing shoulder and used it for his advantage and kicked with his right foot at Tioshi's neck, it was quickly blocked. They pushed away from each other, but Kakashi had someone behind him, it was Heru. Heru took the chance and back swung his arm at Kakashi who blocked it and flipped Heru over towards his partner. They then doubled team Kakashi and charged with speed and force, only a thrown shuriken could gain. They spun around him in a big circle becoming a blur as they continue to speed at such velocity. In the end, they both ended up rushing in front of Kakashi, where they kicked out and the force and speed had Kakashi flying backwards through the wall, and landing out in the front yard. Tioshi and Heru jumped through the large hole Kakashi created to continue the fight.

The young ninja was just picking his self up when he felt a kick hitting him in the side, knocking him over onto his back. He blocked the heel that was aiming for his face by crossing his arms and pushing the appendage away. Heru backed away, distancing himself from the white haired ninja; Tioshi appeared moments later beside his partner.

The both smirked, "Like the old times, eh Tioshi," Heru said.

"Just like I remember it," Tioshi answered. "Let's finish him off quickly."

They took charge but several kunais embedded in the ground, thrown by Kakashi, stopped them in their tracks.

Kakashi stood up, wobbly but straight.

"You'll have to be quicker than that," he said before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

Both ninjas were on the alert now; they won't be fooled into these disappearing acts the young shinobi kept playing them with.

"Are you going to keep hiding," Heru mocked. "Or are you going to finally face us like a real shinobi suppose to."

"Neither," they heard behind them, they turned and caught just a glimpse of the last two hand signs, before a giant wall of dirt appeared before them. The massive mound of soil swooped over towards the two men, burying them under layers and layers of itself. Kakashi turned around just in time to see the rest of the men jump through the hole in the wall and surrounded him. He did another quick hand sign and this time, he blew out fire from his mouth and burned each man with it, before they took any action. Their screams dissipated as their bodies fell to the ground charred and smoldering.

With a sigh, Kakashi replaced his eye-patched back over his left eye. He frowned at his work and the damages. _It would seem to be the right time to head back to Konoha_, he thought. _There's no telling how many more will be heading this way_. He sighed again and with good measure. Looking down at his injured left arm he pulled the kunai out.

"Kakashi-sensei," he heard Sakura's voice as she and the rest of his team hurried out of the trees and landed next to him. He looked at them carefully, seeing their beaten bodies and heavy breathing.

"We're going to need to hurry," Sai said after taking a breather. "We have men after us and they want the same thing."

Kakashi lifted an eyebrow.

"You didn't defeat them," he asked.

Team 7 looked at each other and then back at their sensei. They shook their head, no, and Naruto went to explain the situation. He told him about how everything that they tried had no effect on the men at all.

"It was like their bodies were made out of steel of something, we couldn't take them down with anything."

Kakashi frowned and pondered that a little bit. He just fought people who were too fast that he had to use the Sharingan and even then their movements were still hard to pick up.

"How far off are they," he asked his students.

"Not far," Sakura answered. "We left a few of Naruto's shadow clones to deal with them, but they won't hold up against them for long."

Kakashi nodded. "Okay, we are going to need to move quickly. Naruto get our gear and whatever we're going to need. Sai, you and Sakura set explosive tags around the cabin and some in front of the path," he ordered, his team nodded their heads and quickly moved to do their respective tasks.

Kakashi went back in the house and into the kitchen/dinning room area. He noticed Ayame had a wet cloth on the back of her husband's head, nursing the bump forming there. He looked around for the youngest Unomi.

"Where's Shin," he asked.

Ayame and Kiyoshi looked up at the ninja and then each other. Kiyoshi, with the help of his wife, stood up on wobbly legs.

"He's in his room, in the closet. We told him to hide there until we thought it was safe for him to come out."

"He's really scared," Ayame sobbed a little.

"I'm going to need for you two to come with us, it's too dangerous for us to leave you here," Kakashi explained.

"But this is our home," Ayame protested. "We can't just leave it."

"You'll die if you stay here," he bluntly told them. "Either way, Shin will be going with us if you're with us or not."

He wasn't trying to be mean, but he had to be, to get them to listen to reason. They weren't safe here, the boy wasn't safe here.

They thought about it for a while and in the end they slowly made their way to their room to pack. He told them only the important things, while he headed off to Shin's room.

He slowly opened the door, checking for any signs of any other enemy ninjas. When he found none, he went straight to the closet door and opened it. Shin was huddled in the corner, hugging his knees and rocking back and forth. His eyes were tightly closed shut and he was mumbling softly.

Kakashi squatted down in front of the door and waited. He didn't know what to say, he didn't know how to comfort someone, but the only thing on his mind right now was that they needed to hurry. Reaching out, he touched the boy's shoulders. Shin startled and backed away, hitting and pressing his back up against the wall.

"It's alright," he told the boy, feeling kind of awkward in trying to be comforting. He reached again and the boy moved away, again.

"My parents," Shin whispered, not looking up at Kakashi but somewhere far away. "Are they…"

"No," Kakashi answered.

"Kakashi," he heard Sakura's voice. She stood at the door out in the hall, her bags and some essentials in her hands. "Naruto says that all his clones has been dispersed and the other men are on there way."

Kakashi nodded his head, not facing her, "Give me a minute," he told her. "But go ahead and head outside, make sure the Unomis are with you."

"Okay, but..." she gasped. "Kakashi, your arm, I should heal it before it gets…"

"Later, Sakura," he firmly said. She nodded her head, "Okay, later then." She then left out down the hall to get everyone ready.

Kakashi peered over at Shin again; the boy had his head down.

"We have to go," he firmly told the boy.

Shin shook his head, no.

The ninja sighed, if he wasn't such a patient person, he would have dragged the boy out, kicking and screaming, but since time was of the essence, he grabbed at Shin's arm and pulled him out of the closet. Shin struggled the whole time, his torn shirt coming undone and revealing his pale chest.

Kakashi grip loosen as he caught a glimpse of the boy's chest. He ignored the pain as Shin bite into his hand and he tried punching at the Jonin's arms to get free but Kakashi's attention was focus more on the scar that ran across the pale skin.

Shoving Shin to the ground, pinning his arms to his side, Kakashi straddled the boy and used his legs to keep the boy's arms from breaking free. Shin continued to struggle, his eyes were still closed shut, and tears were running down the side of his face.

It wasn't until Shin felt two hands grab onto the side of his face, did he finally opened his eyes to see a mix matched pair staring down at him, he gasped as one of the eye, the red one began to spin hypnotically. His struggling slowed into small tugs as sleep took over his body. His eyes grew heavy until he couldn't keep them open anymore; he was put into a deep induced sleep.

Kakashi pulled the torn shirt open; the scar ran down from the boy's left shoulder all the way down and across his right side, under his ribs. The scar was thin enough that a sword could be the cause of it, but still anything could make that thin of a wound.

He found a small sheet and put some of the boy's clothes and basics in it before tying it up, picked the boy up and placed him on his back, and taking the made shift bag and left out the room and cabin.

His team and the Unomis were waiting for him. He nodded to them before instructed Naruto and Sai to carry Kiyoshi and Ayame. They could cover more ground if they took to the trees. With everything situated, they jumped to the trees and soon after, there was a huge explosion as the tags were detonated with chakra.

Rye and his men and Fudo and his brothers came just in time to see the ninjas leave; they were blown backwards once the explosion went off.

Rye growled as he picked his self up and ran over towards the three men who lead him here.

"I want my Uchiha," he growled at Fudo as he grabbed him by the shirt collar. He had his men grab a hold of Fudo's brothers as he continued to yell. "You didn't tell me that there were other ninja with the boy and his family."

"I didn't know, honest," Fudo pleaded, playing along as being clueless about the other ninjas, even though he knew that that one shinobi had to have others with him. "I didn't know honest, sir. Please believe me."

Rye back handed him across the face before he release the young man. He was angry, his prize possession was gone and there was no way he would know where to find him. He kicked a piece of burnt wood out of frustration and yelled.

But then something came to mind. He had to laugh at not thinking about it sooner. Straightening out his suit of false wrinkles, he turned around to face his men and smiled.

Some of his men, stood at attention, they knew that look.

"We're taking a nice little journey," Rye smiled.

"To where, sir," one of his men asked.

"To Fire Country," his smile widen as he walked pass his men and onto the path once again.

"Oh, and bring our three little friends with us," he yelled back at his men who followed orders and pushed the three young men in front of them.

"You heard the boss," one of them said as he shoved the youngest one. They walked down the dirty path, heading for the main route to Fire Country; they weren't given up just yet.

Night fell over the Unomis' burnt home, the fire already settled down into small flames. Everything destroyed and tarnished to nothing but debris of ash and pieces of burnt wood. A hand picked up one piece near the trees and examined a piece of paper stuck to the small wood.

"It appears to be a piece of an explosive tag, sir," an Earth ninja handed the item to their mission leader, Donsu. Donsu examined it himself before dropping the wood all together.

"It seems someone has gotten here before us," he stated, walking over more charred wood.

The rest of his ninjas jumped from the trees and onto the ground to look over the burnt fragments.

Donsu squatted down on the ground and placed his hands into the dirt, somewhere close to the ruined cabin. He closed his eyes and concentrated his chakra into the soil and back up again into his head.

A scene appeared soon after, showing him of everything that had happened earlier today and so on, it showed him a scene of two ninjas fighting one man with white hair to a scene where a man in a suit was yelling at a young man. He rewound the days further back where it ended on four ninjas, disguised as civilian being invited into the home of the family who stayed there.

He snapped his eyes open and snarled, "Kakashi."

His men stopped at what they were doing to look over at their captain.

"You mean, the copy ninja," one of them asked.

Donsu nodded his head, yes, and faced his men.

"Like I said earlier before we left, we wont be the only ones looking for the boy. We have Konoha's ninjas already with the boy and a business gambler who also has his eyes on the kid," he finished there.

He ponder there situation over in his head as his men waited to hear their orders.

"So what are we going to do, sir? It is most likely that the Konoha ninjas will take the boy back to Fire Country, we can't get to them then if they reach that far," the Earth ninja asked.

Donsu smirked, "Not if we cut them off, first."

Silent took over among the shinobis.

"Sir," one politely prompted his captain to continue.

"It is most likely that the Konoha ninjas will be taking the main route back to Fire Country, am I right," Donsu asked his men.

"Yes," one answered.

"So we block the main path to Fire Country, make them take a much longer route, giving us the advantage," he explained.

Once again silence took over the group.

Then, as the plot became clear to his shinobis, they all smiled at what they could do with the forming plan.

"Let's move out," Donsu yelled, a smile still planted on his face. "We have a road to block and ninjas to kill."

"Hai," the shinobis yelled back and all took to the trees, leaving the decaying cabin behind.

Moments after the Earth ninjas left, the ground underneath the rubbish began to move; something was pushing its way from underneath to the top. Seconds later two hands pushed their way out from under the earth and reached for the heavens. Another pair of hands followed afterwards repeating the same action as the first.

Those two weren't going to be taken down so easily next time.

* * *

**AN: **So what did you think? I promised action, now all I have to supply is the adventure, I guess. Don't worry, there's still more action to come, I got it all planned out in my head, it's just writting it, is what's takes so long. 

I'll try not to take as long as I did to update next chapter, but this was good, right? I mean I did do a great job, right?

Please, Review and let me know.


	11. What's Your Next Move: Part 1

**AN: **Hey, another chapter. I did another alternate of the Uchiha Massacre but in a dream form, I think it's kind of cool, so I'm proud of it. I hope you guys like it.

This is a two parter so it is cut in half to keep it shorter, you'll know why (I'll explain at the end AN so I won't ruin anything).

Thanks for the lovely reviews, I appreciate all of them, thanks.

Enjoy

* * *

Chapter 11

What's Your Next Move: Part 1

_He ran through the gates that he knew so well. It was dark and the clouds covered the night sky completely. He was running late in getting home again and he knew his father didn't like that. He was never late, so why this time._

"_Father is going to kill me," eight year old Sasuke reprimanded himself. _

_He made it just in time before the rain started to pour. He took off his sandals and hurried upstairs to his room. But he heard a noise coming from his brother's room. It sounded weird in a way, because his brother never made noises; he was always quiet, always._

_Skipping his own bedroom door to head for his brother's, he made a quick dash across the hall and put his hand on the door handle._

_The noise came again, this time louder. It sounded like it was something being sliced or being ripped open. He doesn't know where he had heard the noise before, but he knew he heard it from some where. _

_Lightening lit the hallway, temporary shining light to his surroundings. For a second, he thought he saw blood stains on the door and on his hands, but when another flash brightened up the hallway, there was nothing there._

"_Brother, it's me Sasuke. I'm coming in," his small voice called out._

_When no answer came, he slide open the door. Upon entering it, he got a big whiff of a metallic smell in the air. But when he looked into the room there was nothing there, not even his brother._

"_Aniki, are you in here," he asked the empty room. There was no answer. _

_He was predetermined on closing the door when he heard a shriek from across the hall in his parent's room. It scared him so much that he slammed his back up against the wall and shut his eyes tight. The scream came again and it was louder. He had to cover his ears, it hurt them that bad. It wouldn't stop, the screaming, whoever it was screamed continuously. Sasuke covered his ears harder, trying to block it out, but to no avail, the scream made it through._

"_Stop, please, stop," Sasuke cried to whoever it was. "Please"_

_The scream, the lightening, and then the slicing noise, they all rambled through the house to his ears. They were screaming in his head._

"_**STOP, PLEASE**__," his small voice yelled to whomever, whatever was there. In his head, in the house, he didn't know, but the noises did stopped. _

_When he opened his eyes, he found himself in his bed, blankets over his head. It was getting stuffy and his breathing became quick and shallow._

_He counted to three and threw the covers from over his head and sat up. It was still dark, but it wasn't raining._

_The slicing noises started up again and he covered his ears to prepare for the screams, but that never came._

"_Otouto, follow me," his brother's voice called out to him from outside his bedroom door. "Follow me, little brother."_

"_I…I'm scared, what's happening, what's making all those noises," Sasuke called out_

"_Sasuke come."_

_With shaky legs, he got off his bed and headed for his door. He didn't want to leave his room, but it was like his body made him do it. He wasn't controlling it anymore._

"_Open the door, Sasuke."_

_He opened the door._

"_Go to mother and father's room. I'm there little brother."_

"_No, I don't want to," he forced out his small trembling lips, but his legs and arms didn't listen. He struggled with himself on not moving but IT was stronger. He had no more control._

"_Don't you trust me, Sasuke, don't you trust your older brother."  
"Please…"_

"_Open their door, Sasuke," his brother's voice commanded behind the door._

"_Please, I don't want to. I don't want to go in there. I don't want to see them."_

_His hands went around the door handle of his parent's room, anyway, and pulled._

_The door slide opened a little but he just stood there._

"_Come in Sasuke."_

_His legs moved to walk further into the room, the door sliding wider as he got close. When the door was fully opened, he saw his parent's bodies lying flat on the floor. Blood oozed from their bodies. _

_Tears ran down his face which was the only thing that was done on his own free will. He looked up from their limp forms to see his brother come from among the shadows. His eyes red from the Sharingan twisted with craze and something evil, but his face was something that he could not see. It stayed hidden in the shadows._

"_Lie down, little brother. Lie next to mother and father. It is where you belong," his brother ordered him. And his legs started moving again._

"_I don't want to die, please brother ……Why are you doing this? …Make it stop, please."_

"_Trust me, Sasuke, I won't hurt you."_

_The screams started up again, so did the slicing noises._

_He found himself lying on his back, next to his parent's bodies. _

_His tears were endless. _

_This was all wrong, he should be moving, but his body wouldn't let him._

"_Worthless," his brother was on him, seating on his legs and a sword pressed slightly over his neck. He still couldn't see his face though, just his eyes, his red eyes._

"_I don't want to die, please brother," he cried out loud, over the screams, over the slicing noises. They were in his head again. "PLEASE"_

"_Pathetic, little brother." The sword was pressed further into his neck. _

_Sasuke closed his teary eyes._

"_**NO.**__"_

_Silence._

_When he opened his eyes again, he was in front of the gates. _

_Panic ripped through his body. He couldn't breath. His legs started moving again, but he didn't want them to. His small hands reached for the gates, but it was too late, his brother was already in front of him._

"_Die, little brother."_

_The sword was raised and it came down to slice…._

He felt himself jerk awake before he opened his eyes. That dream wasn't like the others and it was strange because those eyes never were a factor in his nightmares before, but it felt like it was suppose to be there, like they were always suppose to be there, just…making themselves known, like memorizing something that has always been there.

He didn't like it.

When he did open his eyes, he found that his world was nothing but a blur…a green blur. Wind rushed through his hair and over his face, making his eyes watery and his ears seemed stuffy. He was in the trees, _but how_, he wondered.

He noticed that he was leaning up against something, someone. He noticed his arms were around the person's neck and his legs were cradled in the person's arms, carrying him on their back. Shin turned his head, on the person's shoulder, to look at the person face, it was covered with some kind of mask and his hair was the color of white or silver. It then hit him that he was being carried through the top vicinity of the trees by the man he just now remembered had those same color of eyes that were in his nightmares, they were the same shade of red that spun with black tiny orbs that he feared so much.

He began to panic.

Kakashi felt the body in his arms tighten around him and figured that the boy was awake. He glanced over and was met with black, wide eyes…scared eyes.

"Put me down," Shin shakily yelled as he tried pushing away from the man, his mind replaying the event from last night.

"Put me down."

Kakashi sighed, he figured as much that this would happen, but he thought the boy would have continued to sleep at least until they have gotten into Fire Country borders. He turned and signaled that his students follow his lead and head for ground to the bare opening in the middle of the trees. They could rest for a little while.

Upon landing, he let go of Shin and turned, watching as the boy backed away from him, trembling.

He seemed to be looking at his surroundings, wondering where and why he was here, with him.

"Shin…" he tried moving towards the boy but…

"No, you stay away," Shin panicked and back further away. His back hitting a tree and that ceased all his movements for now, until Kakashi made another attempt towards him and he scurried side ways to get away. He took quick glances at Kakashi's face but mostly towards his left patched covered eye and Kakashi figured that the boy was remembering last night… he sighed.

"Shin," Ayame rushed passed Kakashi to get to her son and embraced him. "What's the matter? Are you okay?"

Shin's eyes never left Kakashi's as he shook his head, no, to answer his mother.

"What is it, son," Kiyoshi asked afterwards, coming up to his family and supporting a hand on his son's head. Shin only shook his head and looked down, he didn't know how to explain it, but he knew he couldn't tell them what was wrong, he could never tell them anything related to his dreams.

Seeing that the boy was calming down and some panic had left him, Kakashi turned away from the family and looked towards his team.

"We'll take a ten minute rest before we will need to take off again," he told them, turning back to the Unomis to make sure that they had heard him, the adults nodded their heads and then went back to taking care of their son.

"I think that would be great," Sakura stated, walking over to her sensei. "I need to heal your wounds anyway."

Kakashi nodded and he and his team settled at a nearby tree some feet away from the family so they wouldn't hear their conversation.

"What if we run into the enemy again," Sakura asked some time later as she healed his left arm.

Kakashi shrugged his shoulders, flinching as his wounded chest protested the action.

"Well from what I heard from you about the group you handled last night, they were hard to touch. That could be a problem in many ways than most, considering we can't break through whatever shield they have around their bodies, so continuing to head for Konoha and trying not to run into them seems like our best bet." He looked at his team and they seemed to agree.

"There are only four of us protecting three civilians," he continued. "We can't take the chance of losing anyone," he paused. "How many were there when you fought last night?"

"Well," Naruto began. "There were three I fought on my own, both Sai and Sakura had three of their own and two stood by and watched. There was a man in a suit and three other men who look like they were just guides for the men, so that totals up to fifteen."

Kakashi nodded his head, considering all the possibilities on how fighting an enemy that's steel protected and trying to protect three defenseless people could turn out. It would be a hard job to accomplish, but he's sure him and his team could get it done, but keeping as far away from those men was for the best, though, just to be on the safe side, he can't lose anyone, especially his students and the family.

"But what if, by some pure chance, we do run into them again. What do we do than," Sakura asked, healing his chest.

"We do what we can and we'll see what happens," he answered, checking over Sakura's healing work on his left arm, not a scar to show, the girl was good.

"Yeah, but what I can't get is how did they know where to look," Naruto pondered. "I mean, how can they be sure that this kid is really the Uchiha…I mean we don't even know yet."

"I'm not sure, either," Kakashi sighed. "But he has a scar."

He figured a change of subject would do nicely here. The other things would only make them worry, and well, he was starting to doubt the mission and that wasn't good for his psyche. It wasn't good for the team.

A pause.

"What," both Sakura and Naruto blurted out together, just realizing what their sensei had said.

"So that's two down and one left to go," Sai stated. "This kid just might be who we think he is."

"We should try contacting the Fifth again, let her know of our situation," he told his students. "…just in case something happens."

"Wait, but how did you find out about the scar," Sakura asked. "When," she asked a moment later.

Kakashi only shrugged his shoulders and sighed. "Last night before we left," was his answer and he got up and stretched.

"Now, we need to…"

"I think we need to talk," Kiyoshi interrupted walking over to the group, his wife and son closed behind. "What happened back there? Who were those people and why were they after our son?" He sounded hysterical, angry even, as he stared Kakashi square in the eyes. "And you…w-what you did…You're not just ninja travelers are you?"

For a moment, there was just complete silence as everyone stared among themselves. But there was no sense in hiding the truth now, their cover was blown and to make this trip easier on the group and to everyone, the truth had to be told.

"No," Kakashi answered. "We're not just ninja travelers. We're shinobis from Fire Country sent on a mission to find out if…" he took a glance over at Shin who quickly looked away. "…if your son is the long lost Uchiha whose been missing for four years."

"Uchiha," Kiyoshi questioned. "What-Who is this Uchiha?"

"The Uchihas was a powerful clan in our village, they were wiped out by one of their own clan member, Itachi Uchiha," Kakashi explained, looking at Shin as the rogue Uchiha name was mentioned.

No reaction, nothing, but there was a flicker in his eyes, could mean something or it could mean nothing at all as well.

He continued. "There was a survivor, a young boy, at the age of eight when he was found, but two days later he disappeared," and he left it at that, letting the Unomis fill in the blank.

"S-So what you're saying is that …you think that Shin…could be this missing Uchiha," Kiyoshi asked.

Kakashi didn't answer at first, leaving _that_ for the Unomis to answer themselves as well. "It's imperative that we get him to our village as soon as possible."

Ayame grabbed onto her son tightly and Kiyoshi backed his family closely behind him after hearing that.

"No, how can we be sure we can trust _you_? You could be just like those guys wanting to take our son and kill us. How can we be sure you're not going to do _that_?"

Kakashi sighed, "I can assure you, Mr. Unomi, our intentions are not in anyway to harm you or your family. Our mission was to only see if your son is who we think he is and if so, we were to take him, but now our mission is to take him and you…," he pointed at the husband and wife. "…to our village to be safe."

Kiyoshi looked cautiously, eyeing Kakashi and his team with so much uncertainty but…trusting them would take some time; at least, until he was sure he could trust them.

"And if my son was, the Uchiha, you would have taken him, no questions asked, nothing," Kiyoshi asked, calming down just a little.

Another sigh, "I'm not going to lie to you, Mr. Unomi, but if your son happened to be who we were looking for, then yes, we would have taken him…no questions asked."

"Unbelievable," Kiyoshi rubbed the bridge of his nose, cynicism reading all over his body as he placed his hands on his hips shortly afterwards. "How are we to believe you, huh? You could easily be putting us in a trap, waiting for the right moment and then kill my wife and I and take our son," he passed, concern replacing doubt as things were making themselves clear as just how screwed their situation was becoming. "I have no proof that what you are telling me now is honorable."

"You can trust me or not, but you're coming with us either way. We're not the bad guys, here, we're trying to help you," Kakashi said this calmly, it did neither of them any good if he lost his temper, they would just be getting nowhere with that type of solution. "Besides, we're all you got right now."

This time, it was Kiyoshi who had sighed, letting his shoulders relax as he accepted that answer. He nodded his head moments later, agreeing with Kakashi on whatever term that was made between them. That they had no other choice but to go with the shinobis, and that they could only trust in their words and not their actions on why they were here in the first place…that they would be protected by them and only them so far.

"Okay," Kiyoshi began, "How do we…"

Kakashi was led away from the conversation and frowned; he heard a noise in the distance. It was footsteps, slow and steady…being sneaky, one person, maybe a male. He looked over at his team, they heard it too. Lifting his hands, he silenced Kiyoshi from speaking any further and brought a finger to his masked lips to instruct him and his family to be quiet. He then, silently told them to hide and not to come out until he gave them the clear to do so.

The family nodded and hid behind a tall bush, Shin taking his longest as he continue to watch the ninjas before him, scurried up into the trees and disappeared. His family may have believed them, but he didn't, there was just something about them or him…the man had a red eye, just like in his dreams…it can't be true, could it…

He hid with his family and stayed down; he would have to worry about it later. Now, he had to hope that whoever was out there didn't find him and take him away from his family.

A man, with a hood over his head, kept hidden among the trees, watched as the ninjas disappeared. He backed away from the scene and watched his surroundings, listening for any noise that would give out their hideaway, but…

Suddenly, a trap wire found itself coiling around him. Looping at his legs and up towards his shoulders, pulling him backwards, slamming him into a tree, where the rest of the wire surrounded him, tying him there and tightening. He tried pulling free, but it only tightened around him more.

Four pairs of feet landed in front of him and he heard a thump as a shuriken was embedded inches away from his left ear.

"Whoa, hey, watch where you throw that thing," the man yelled out. He looked up at the four standing up in front of him and smiled. "It's me, Taro, remember the informant."

Naruto walked over to the man and pulled the hood off from over his head.

"It's him," he said as he back away to head back to his teammates.

Kakashi flicked his fingers uncoiling the wire from around the man and recoiling them back around his finger and placing them back into his pouch behind him.

"What are you doing here," he asked.

Taro picked his self up from the ground and dusted his self off.

"Well, after our little meeting at the restaurant, I was suppose to head back to Konoha after my mission, but I got a message stating that I should stay and watch what goes on in town," he explained. "I did and then I hear a couple of people outside a restaurant, saying that there was a guy looking for an Uchiha, imagine my surprise when I heard that," he smiled, rubbing behind his head at their questioning looked. "Anyway, I headed off to warn you guys, but found the cabin in shambles and you were gone, so I followed a hunch on where you guys might have been heading and then, well you know the rest," he smiled. "So what happened?"

Team 7 sighed. "We were attack," they all said, dryly, in unison.

"Oh," was all Taro said.

"We were going to send a message to the Fifth," Sakura started, "To let her know that we might be arriving sooner than intended, but…"

"Oh, she already knows," Taro said out of the blue.

They all frowned, "How," Naruto asked.

"Well, remember how it was when the first time the news got out about the Uchiha being missing and practically everyone brought a kid in claiming to be the Uchiha," Taro asked Kakashi. Kakashi only nodded his head. "Well, it started up again and the Fifth assumed that word got out and figured that you guys would be getting some unwanted guest some time or another."

"Well alright then," Naruto chirped up. "The old granny can send over some extra ninjas to help us out," he then paused to frown a little. "But, not like we needed the extra men because we could handle it, it's just we…" he stopped and smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, that _would_ be great," Taro agreeing. "…If she could do that."

"What, what do you mean," Sakura asked this time, a little louder than usual.

"Well, with the many people coming in and out of Konoha, the Fifth had to put more shinobis on guard and that included ANBU. And with so many people coming and going, she wasn't sure if an attack might occur from hidden enemy ninjas disguising as civilians in the village. Plus, she was doing it out of your safety as well."

"How is not sending extra men is for our safety," Sakura asked.

"Well," Taro began. "Considering that she has never dealt with this situation before, she presumed that if she sent any shinobis to look for you, enemy ninjas might want to follow or interfere with the mission. She doesn't want it to be too troublesome, as she had put it, for you. And she said if the boy is the Uchiha, she doesn't want to risk it with others finding out."

"Well it's already too late for that," Sai wryly piped in.

"True, how many were you up against," Taro asked.

"A few groups, here and there," Kakashi answered.

"Did you defeat them?"

"To answer your question, we're on the run," was Kakashi's answer before he shrugged his shoulders.

Taro nodded his head in understanding. "That bad, huh?"

"Pretty much," Sai answered.

"Well, I guess that's okay. I mean, you got the kid and that's all that matters, right," he asked looking around.

"Actually, we brought the whole family," Sai added, he was very talkative today.

"Oh, I see," Taro looked serious for a moment. "Well, I guess it can't be helped," he smiled at the group.

Kakashi nodded, "Let's head back, we need to leave before any problems shows up." They all agreed and headed back to where the family hid.

Kakashi explained to them about Taro and that he would be accompanying them throughout their travels, that they needed the extra help anyway.

They didn't take the trees this time; they walked on the main route by foot. It was only a couple of miles until they got to the borders of Fire Country and they were making good leeway.

It wasn't until they got into a dry U-shape valley that trouble found them. It was plain, no vegetation or any sign of water ever running through it. Steep mountains shouldered the flat floor, giving it a rocky terrain to it. The sun shined right over them as the valley continued straight, but the high elevations provided much needed shades that cooled them nicely.

Team 7 and Taro surrounded their civilians. Kakashi in the front, leading the way, Sakura and Sai brought up the sides, one on the right the other one on the left, and Taro and Naruto brought up the rear. Shin stayed between his parents, who were in the middle with him.

"How much longer," Ayame asked. She never walked a long distance in her life, to walk more than a mile was a burden on her feet and she was becoming tired fast. "Is there anyway we could stop and rest for a moment," she asked.

"It's best if we reach the border first," Taro offered. "If we take a rest now, it's a better chance that ninjas can find us."

"But we've been on the go for hours," Ayame argued. "I doubt anyone has caught up with us since then."

"True," Kakashi stepped in. "But we can't be too careful."

Suddenly, there was a gigantic BOOM in the distance up ahead. It sounded like an explosion but there was no fire, not even smoke.

Kakashi and his group tensed and prepared themselves.

Another Boom sound, but this time it came from some distance behind them.

"What was that," Kiyoshi asked.

"Keep your eyes open," Kakashi warned everyone.

Silence followed afterwards, before small tremors began. It vibrated through the ground and shook the steep mountains around them. Small rocks and pebbles fell off of them, crumbling when hitting the ground. Another thunderous boom and the ground shook twice as hard. Its tremors grew to medium shakes, enough to cause Team 7 and the others to wobble on their feet.

"What's causing this," Kiyoshi yelled over the rumbling. It sounded like a deep muffled roar, grumbling throughout the valley's walls.

Another enormous boom sound and the place was going in shambles. Large rocks were falling off the mountains, colliding with the ground, landing right next to the group.

"We need to move," Kakashi yelled. They all agreed and they moved ahead. Awkward as it was and as difficult as it made running in a straight line seem, the group pulled through and moved forward.

After a yard of unsteady steps, the quakes stopped, it happened so quickly that it seemed as if nothing had happened at all.

Silence…Nothing moved, nothing trembled, and it was stable.

Kakashi and the team stopped, looking for signs of anything. They knew that this was no ordinary earthquake; someone had caused this and their only possible explanation would be that the person or persons were Earth ninjas.

"Well, if it isn't the famous Copy Ninja," a voice echoed through the basin. "It would be a shame if he was to die so easily."

The group looked around for the culprit, but they saw no one.

"Hmm, how would I go about destroying you, Copy Ninja?"

"Old friend of your Kakashi," Taro dryly joked.

Kakashi ignored him; he kept his eyes looking around the area. He could feel their presence, could feel their chakras churning with power. He boosted up his own, readying himself for a fight.

"Up here, Copy Ninja," a voice called out to him.

They all looked up and met not one, but many ninjas surrounding them at the mountains edge.

"I've been waiting to meet you," Donsu called out.

Kakashi gazed up at him with his exposed eye, loathingly, watching for any signs of the first movement to a battle. His team was doing the same, and in doing so, they moved closer to the family in the middle, who would most likely be caught in the middle of one ruthless battle.

"Give us the Uchiha," Donsu ordered, already watching the family that the group was closely surrounding…protecting.

Kakashi sighed, "It's a shame that it won't be that easy." He lifted up his eye patched on his left eye, the Sharingan activating automatically. It's already locking down on its first two targets, spinning and waiting for the movements for it to read and copy.

Donsu smirked at the comment. He figured as much that they wouldn't just hand the boy over, he wasn't foolish. "Have it your way, Copy Ninja, don't think we will make it easy on _you_ either." He nodded to one of his men at the top far end of the mountain.

The shinobi nodded back, comprehending the signal. He did some hand signs in the shadows before Kakashi had time to pick them up, and brought his fist down to strike the large rock under him.

Nothing happened at first; just the shinobi's fist still plunged into the ground, his eyes closed as if concentrating. But then, a few moments later, the ground started to shake again, slow and vibrate at first, but then fast and tremendous soon after. A crack was heard far in the distance, echoing in the large valley as it quake, rupturing the ground and sending a distorted fissure heading towards Kakashi and his group. It traveled with speed and it grew larger and wider as it inched closer to the group it was after.

Before the end of the tear reached them, it branched out in two and opened the ground wider. In the crack, a large, gigantic stone slab grew out of the crack and began to tower over the group. It rumbled and roar out of the ground, building to new heights and another one built up behind the group and then another one and another one grew on either side of them. They were being surrounded by the large hunk of rocks.

Ayame screamed and held her son near; she was embracing him tightly in her arms as she thought of the inevitable that they might just die today. Her husband was doing the same to the both of them. "I love you," he yelled to them.

Kakashi watched the stones carefully, watching each stone as they built over them and around them, closing them in, in a tense square, bring their group to a tight huddle. He caught one last glance up at the man over the whole thing before the flat rocks blocked his view, ending the staring contest. "Damn," he cursed, being shadowed with darkness.

Donsu smiled and nodded at his active shinobi to proceed. The shinobi, once again, nodded his head. He brought his other fist down, next to the first one, and twisted them inward and quickly slid them over the ground to touch knuckle to knuckle.

The Earth ninjas watched as the four flat square shaped rocks slammed pressed together. First, the two opposite of each other slammed together, squashing anything in the middle, then the last two stone rotated until they aligned with the first ones and they slammed into those with a much powerful force.

Donsu smiled once again, _now it begins_, he thinks to himself, watching as the dust and debris from the commotion at the bottom of the valley settled into a fading cloud.

"Now, what's your move, Kakashi?"

TBC

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**AN: **So how was that? Not much, I know, but I wanted a full chapter of action scenes for the next chapter so this was pretty much dialogue and the beginning of the battle between Kakashi with his team and the Earth ninjas. Something to get it started but there were some action type moments in this chapter, just not much.

But anyway, next chapter is going to have a full out action pack fight, I can't wait to write it, I have it all planned out. I just hope it turns out as how I picture it, in my head. I can't wait.

I have one big favor to ask of you guys. I've been trying to think of a new idea of a story plot for Kakashi and Sasuke, it's just I keep coming up with a blank and it leaves me frustrated. I was just wondering if you guys can give me like a challenge or something (help with giving me something to write). It wont be written anytime soon, probably (most likely) after I'm finish with my two stories. It can be on anything, I'm not picky, just something to help me with giving me some ideas. Give me a PM if you want to share, I will really appreciate it.

Thank You and please review, Please.


	12. What's Your Next Move: Part 2

AN: Hey sorry for the long awaited update, but I kinda lost my inspiration, what some might call muse, for this story. But I got it back and I made it extra long to make up for lost times...of not undating it sooner.

Anyways, thanks for the reviews, I always like to see you guys' comments and they help a lot.

I'm not going to leave you guy in suspense any longer, so here's the chapter/action-pack scene of 'What's Your Next Move.' I hope I did some justice with this, I worked really hard on it and I hope I didn't make it into one of those long-boring types of chapters, but a long-interesting and exciting type of chapters.

This might be my last really long chapter, they probably won't be this long for a long time.

Enjoy

* * *

Chapter 12

What's Your Next Move: Part 2

Donsu and his men watched as the last bits of dust floated to the bottom of the valley's floor. Everything sat in a still silence as they waited…waited for some kind of indication that one of Konoha's finest had a plan up his sleeve and was about to charge at any moment. They had that much knowledge to know that this little plan of theirs wouldn't be enough to stop the Copy Ninja, not if he had something to protect.

So they waited.

And they waited a little while longer, not thinking, once, to let down their guards.

But as time went by and nothing happened, annoyance got the best of the Earth ninjas.

They wanted a battle now.

"Open the rocks," Donsu ordered to one of his ninjas, the same one who created and collided the rocks at the basin's floor.

The ninja, once again, nodded his head and formed a series of hand signs before he slammed his hands together. He concentrated hard and, slowly, he pulled his hands apart, the rocks below doing the same.

Donsu stepped at the edge of the cliff, watching for any signs of the white haired ninja. If Kakashi was to do something, now was the time.

When the stones, below were a good distance apart, Donsu raised one of his hands to instruct the ninja to stop.

Once again they waited for…something to happen.

"Where are you, Kakashi," Donsu whispered among himself, sighing as doubt made itself known throughout his body.

"You two," Donsu pointed at two of his men beside him. "Go check it out, but be careful." The two men saluted and jumped off the mountain to land on top of the stone walls below.

They looked over the edge, looking in the hollow center between the slabs of rocks, where the Leaf village ninjas were suppose to be located.

It was dark at the center's bottom, not much could be seen by the two Earth ninjas, so they nodded at each other before jumping into the square hole.

At the bottom they found nothing. The dirt under them showed no signs of people ever stepping foot there or any signs of an escape attempt. It was empty. They bended at the knees and squatted to get a better look at the ground. One ninja rubbed his hands over the ground and tried concentrating for chakra signatures, but he found none.

"You think they buried themselves," one asked the other.

The other one shrugged his shoulders and shook his head, "I don't know, maybe… but there aren't any markings or some sort of hole to show that they did," he answered.

Suddenly, the rocks, surrounding them, started to come together with speed they could not escape from. They were going to be the ones squashed to death.

They tried jumping out, but a root came from out of the ground and wrapped itself around their legs, keeping them in place.

Donsu quickly glanced over at the ninja who had control over the rocks below; the man gave him a confused shrug, telling him that he wasn't the cause of this.

"I'm not doing it, sir, honest," he surrendered his hands to show his leader that he was telling the truth.

"Then try stopping it," Donsu ordered as he heard the beginning yells of his men trapped inside the square destruction.

"I'll try, sir," the ninja quickly put his hands together, palm against palm, and tried, with all his might, pulling the stones apart. He struggled and strained with his chakra flow on the stones, but the stones wouldn't obey, they continued to close in on each other, until, finally, there was a thunderous boom as the stones collided together, compressing whatever was in between its path.

The earth shinobis could only watch as once again the dust settled around the stones and silence, once again, took over.

Donsu growled deep within his throat as anger surge up inside his body.

He should have known that Kakashi would have copied the jutsu, but how? He could have sworn he saw him catch the last movements of the hand signs, there was no way he could have copied it, not all of it, at least.

"You two," he pointed at two others beside him. "Go down there and see if you can find them."

"But, sir," one started protesting. "What if…"

"Go now," Donsu ordered.

The two ill-fated ninjas saluted and headed down at the valley's floor, keeping there distance away from the massive stones. They looked around, cautiously, watching for anything that moved…for any signs of the Copy Ninja and his team.

It wasn't until they made double rounds throughout the valley's floor did they considered it safe for their own safety and relaxed.

"Maybe they left, sir," one of them yelled up at their leader. "We don't see anything, they're gone."

Donsu growled once again and yelled, "Keep looking."

The two at the bottom floor, looked at each other before obeying orders. They walked around the stones and up and down the valley, believing that the fire ninjas were gone for good.

Boy, were they wrong.

Suddenly a hand, grabbed one of the Earth ninja by the ankles, pulling him all the way down into the ground until his head was the only thing left above the surface. He tried wriggling his self free, but he was stuck…trapped.

"Pull me out," he yelled at the other shinobi, but the ninja just shook his head, no and ran off.

"You basta…" that was all the grounded ninja could yell out before blood spurted out of his mouth, his eyes dulling into nothing as his head leaned back, lifeless.

The other ninja continued to run, not, once, thinking that the safest place would be back at the top of the mountain with his other companions. The only thing on his mind was getting away…as far away as humanly possible.

In a burst, under the ground, cone spikes made from stones, jutted out of the ground and in front of the running shinobi, just missing him by an inch. The man backed away, turned, to run the opposite direction with spiked stones following his ever steps and gaining behind him with huge vastness.

He was just about to make it to the stones walls, to try and jump on top of one of them, when a bunch of spikes protruded out of the ground in front of him. He startled and tripped over his own feet, falling backwards, just as spikes jumped out of the ground directly behind him. His body embedded onto the barbs stones as he yelled out his agony for the whole world to hear. Blood oozed out of his wounds and mouth as with his final breath, he turned his head to look up at his leader, his eyes trying to focus, but sadly they dissipated into nothingness.

The spikes, slowly, receded back into the ground, the ones next to the two bodies doing the same, until finally, all that was left was their bloodshed that they left behind.

Donsu cursed, that was four men he lost all in a mere ten minutes and he blamed Kakashi for this. No, it wasn't _his_ fault that he sent his own men down to their deaths, it was Kakashi's fault because he knew him so well…knew, he would send a few of his men, instead of himself, down there to check things out. Donsu was just too stubborn to believe that the Copy Ninja would actually believe that he would do it…and that was Kakashi's fault in knowing that much about his enemies…and it sickened the Earth leader to no end.

"Damn you, Kakashi," Donsu cursed again, bending at his knees to squat down by the ground. He placed his palms, faced down, on the ground's surface and closed his eyes. He concentrated on the valley's floor, centering his chakra there and aiming it back to his head.

A scene appeared, showing him, Kakashi and his group, in the middle of the stone walls, just moments before they collided. He saw Kakashi turned to the female shinobi and ordered her to do something. The pink haired ninja, nodded before slamming a fist into the ground underneath them. The family was the first to climb into the hole, followed by the ninjas, Kakashi being the last one. Kakashi did a hand sign and closed up the hole, just seconds before the stones slammed together above them.

Donsu growled as he forced more chakra into the dirt to watch more of the scene.

He saw Kakashi giving orders and then the group split up. It was then that he saw the recent event of his four men's death replayed itself, seeing that it was Kakashi and the other Jonin who caused the destruction of his men. He noted that the two young males went east under the valley's floor, while the girl and the family took to the west, towards Fire Country's borders.

Donsu yanked his hands from the ground and stood, his face red from his anger building tremendously.

"They're underground," he told his men, who had gathered around him as they saw him concentrating. "Two went east; one ninja and the family went west, towards the border."

He pointed at three of his men, "Go capture the family, but be careful, the girl is strong."

The three shinobis saluted before scurrying off in their appointed direction.

Donsu pointed at four other shinobis and ordered them to go and take out the two males heading east. Those four saluted and disappeared in the direction given.

The earth leader than, stepped to the edge of the mountain's cliff and peered over at the bottom floor.

"The rest of you, we're going after the Copy ninja and his partner."

* * *

Sakura burst a hole through the ground's surface and climbed out. She helped the family climbed out as well, as they looked around to make sure no one was following them. 

"What do we do now," Ayame asked, cuddling her son close to her.

Sakura looked around before looking back at the Unomis.

"We keep running, Kakashi said that he'll distract the Earth ninja, buying us some time to escape and reach the border. When we get there, I'm to take you directly to Konoha," Sakura answered.

"But what about your friends, are you just going to leave them back there," Kiyoshi questioned as he and his family followed behind Sakura.

"They know how to take care of them selves, Mr. Unomi, don't worry. And like we said before, 'our mission is to keep you and your family safe.'"

But Sakura _was_ worried about her fellow teammates; she just hoped their plan will work and that no one got hurt too seriously. She hoped that they would be reunited very soon as well.

They ran further down the valley until they came before a gigantic wall made from large boulders. Most likely, this was the cause of the big booming sound just before they met up with the Earth ninjas, an obstacle in blocking their exits so they wouldn't escape or something to make it harder on them to try and escape from.

Sakura walked a little ahead and place her gloved hands on one of the boulders closest to the bottom, she was trying to find the weakest point in the made-shift wall, a place where she could hit and it would make the wall crumble with one blow.

She found it, just in the middle; she took a few steps back and prepared herself.

"I want you guys to stand back, okay," she instructed the family.

The Unomis did as they were told and watched as Sakura's right hand balled into a fist and she charged at the huge wall. But seconds before she made contact, a kunai knife was thrown and embedded itself in one of the cracks between two boulders. Attached to the kunai was an explosive tag.

It exploded before Sakura had time to back away. The blast had her tumbling backwards as rocks and debris tumbled on, next, and beside her.

The pink haired ninja was left stunned on the ground, cradling a forming bruise on her right shoulder.

"Sakura," Kiyoshi called out to her.

"STAY BACK," Sakura yelled back, shakily standing up and reaching for her weapon.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you," a man's voice stated above the wall.

"Yeah, if you know what's good for you," another said behind her, a knife at Kiyoshi's neck.

Sakura turned and glared at the man.

"Let him go," she warned, she noticed Shin and Ayame were out of sight, probably hiding.

"Or you'll do what…," the one at top taunted, taking his own weapon out of his holster.

Sakura didn't justify herself with answering, she found no need to.

They stood in tense silence as they took in the situation. No one moved, except for Kiyoshi and his captor, who were struggling with each other.

"Maybe she needs a little bit of an encouragement," a voice said from behind Sakura. She turned just in time to a fist coming at her, but wasn't quick enough to block it. The punch came and she found herself tumbling and rolling on the ground some yards away, and sliding to a halt.

She opened her eyes and there, that when she saw where Ayame and Shin were hiding. They were between two rocks, huddled there so the Earth ninjas couldn't see them.

Sakura gave them a discreet signal to stay hidden, they obeyed and duck down further between the rocks as a ninja appeared before the pink haired shinobi and kicked her right in the chest, sending her sliding some more yards further down the valley.

She had to think of something quick, or it would be her life on the line.

* * *

Naruto and Sai climbed out of their hole that they made and were running eastward by foot. They knew they, Taro and Kakashi, were just a distraction so Sakura and the family could escape towards Fire Country's borders. They just hoped it worked. 

They were in the forest now, leaping over limbs and roots and dodging out of the reach of trees' limbs when suddenly, up ahead of them were four Earth shinobis standing and waiting for them in a line, blocking them from going any further.

"Looks like you two came to a dead end," one ninja sneered at the two Leaf ninjas.

"Oh yeah," Naruto roared.

The four ninjas just smirked.

"I believe so," the same ninja mocked. "Look around, kid, you're in our territory now."

And they did look around, land and trees, definitely earth ninjas' element but trees and land were also around Konoha…they could manage.

"So, what's your point," Naruto frowned.

The four ninjas laughed then, before the same ninja stated, "You'll see."

"Yeah, whatever, let's just get on with it," Naruto demanded, taking on a fighting stance and so did his friend, Sai. The four ninjas did the same.

"As you wish," the earth ninja said and he and the other three charged at the two leaf ninjas.

They charged with their weapons drawn and aiming at the two before them. Naruto and Sai were out of the way by leaping over the ninjas head and landing behind them. The two quickly took their advantage and threw some shuriken at the four who, at the time, turn around to face the leaf ninjas.

They used their kunai knives to block the thrown weapons but they weren't prepared to stop the fists and legs that came at them right afterwards.

Naruto had two of his own, while Sai had two of his own as well.

They each separated some distance from one another so they wouldn't get into each others way.

Naruto blocked every appendage and knives that came his way, striking theirs with his own, before they would pull away only to go at it once again with brute force.

Sai, on the other hand, fought fluidly. Dodging and attacking everything that came his way, his face never leaving a calm expression. He was having fun though, he just didn't show it.

At one point, Naruto and Sai collided, back against back and breathing heavily.

"How are you doing," Naruto asked, blocking a shuriken, aiming for his chest.

"It could be worst," was Sai's only reply before he pushed off of Naruto to take on his two opponents.

If anything, they were the ones winning, at least that what they thought, until one ninja, one of Naruto's challengers, backed away some feet and made hand signs. He slammed his right hand on the ground, causing it to shake, disrupting the fighting, itself.

In the ground right before the Earth ninja, a vine started pulling out of the ground. It coiled and twisted, extending more out the ground to intertwine some more. It thicken into a hand, where more vines developed and made an arm, then a shoulder, a neck, a chest, and so on, until the vine formed a human shaped figure. Two more were created next to the first one, adding three new additions to the fight.

The vine-humans started to twitch, shrubbery fingers and greenery heads jerked to life as chakra was forced into them and creating a green glow to their eyes…it was almost hypnotizing as they awaited orders.

The ninja that created them, stood and walked beside one of the plant creatures.

"Kill them," he orders before the three green beasts let out shrilling roars and charged at the two Leaf ninjas.

"Ha, plants," Naruto laughed. "What can plants do, they can't harm anyone."

Just then, the human plants disappeared in a blink of an eye, then reappearing right in front of the two ninjas, where they threw an upper punch, sending Sai and Naruto flying backwards and into a tree that broke in half on impact.

Both Fire ninjas groaned as they sat up from their blows, feeling a sharp pain in both of their backs.

"You were saying," Sai groaned.

"Okay, I was wrong," Naruto coughed. "Plants can hurt people."

The shrubbery appeared before them again, in just a mere second, raising their branch-like arms ready to strike the two down.

"They can do a lot more than just hurt people," one ninja yelled out to the hurt ninjas.

The earth ninja smirked as the three green men brought down their arms and fists, slamming the Leaf shinobis into the ground, and creating a dirt and smoke explosion that inflated up into the air.

"They can kill too," the earth shinobi finished as the foliage creatures continued to strike down at the two ninjas.

* * *

Donsu and his men jumped to the ground of the basin's floor, being extra cautious as well-trained shinobis allowed them to be. They knew the two Fire Country shinobis were underground so the point of the matter was how to bring them out. 

And Donsu knew how, he thought of it the time he finish watching the scene the ground provided him.

Hit the Copy Ninja where it hurts most…his team.

He didn't just send his men out for nothing. If Kakashi was really listening, and he most likely was, then he would try and do everything in his power to stop his men…him included.

So the copy ninja would go after him first, the leader of the pact, it was the only logical way.

His men scattered, but stuck close together so they were still in visual range of each other.

Nothing moved, nothing popped out of the ground, and surely there was no sign of Kakashi and his partner anywhere. Until a kunai knife flew from the air and into one of Donsu's men, it struck the poor ninja in the heart, killing him instantaneously.

The Earth ninjas found themselves looking up, trying to find the source of where the kunai had come from.

Suddenly, behind them, two more kunais embedded themselves in two more of Donsu's men.

"Take cover," Donsu ordered, but as soon as they tried to scramble to safety, the rocked spikes jutted out of the ground again, stabbing three other Earth ninjas.

"To the sides of the valley's cliffs," Donsu revised his order. His men obeyed hastily, not wanting to be eradicated by the spikes or the kunais.

But as luck would have it, the supposed safety of the cliffs proved to be another wrong idea on Donsu's part, as the spikes on the ground blasted out into the air, piercing the cliffs' walls and some of Donsu's men as well. A total of six got stabbed by the stone spikes, making Donsu having to rethink another strategy to keep his men safe and getting the Copy Ninja to come out.

He just hoped his men he sent out were having much more luck than he was having right now.

* * *

Sakura threw punches at the Earth ninja; he seemed to block every one of them. It was like this since they caught up with her and the family, the only difference was that she had the advantage now. The hits that she did get to make contact with, were hits that were made to the ninja's vital points and he was tiring…tiring enough that he had to switch with one of his fellow ninjas to rest. Thus starting over with the fight and her punching and dodging. 

The pink haired shinobi jumped and kicked the ninja on the side of the face, making him stumble a little, but he righted himself quickly and charged at her again. She flipped out of the way, letting him miss her by an inch where he punched a fist into the ground just moments where she had stood earlier.

"Stand still, you little…"

Sakura didn't let him finish as she appeared behind him, in an instant, and hit two vital nervous in his back, paralyzing both his arms. She then kicked out under his legs making him fall face first on the ground.

Now, all she had were two left.

She turned around to find only one and he was the one still keeping Kiyoshi captive.

She looked around for the other one, but she didn't seem to find the extra ninja anywhere, until…

"Looking for me," the other ninja shouted from the top of the boulders-made wall and in his hands was an unconscious Ayame and Shin.

Sakura looked to where she had seen them hiding earlier, but only to find the space empty.

"You should really keep your guard up when fighting other ninjas," he teased, dangling the two lifeless bodies over the edge of the wall.

Sakura was going to run towards the man, but the other one, the one with Kiyoshi spoke first, "Uh, uh, uh, wouldn't want something bad to happen to the poor family now would you," he held the knife close to Kiyoshi's neck, indicating his point.

The pink shinobi frowned, but backed off anyway.

"Don't hurt them," she requested.

"Oh, we won't do such a thing," the one on top of the wall laughed. "But you on the other hand…well…"

Suddenly, a ninja, the ninja that she thought she left his arms paralyzed appeared behind her, a kunai knife in his hand and ready to aim. He swung his arm, bringing the knife around to stab the pink Leaf ninja in the neck, right in the jugular vein.

Sakura fell immediately on her knees, her life slowly leaving her.

All the Earth ninjas could do was laugh, it was so easy.

* * *

The shrubbery pounded continuously into the ground, smashing the two ninjas further into the ground. 

It wasn't until the order, given by their creator, did the vine-humans ceased their pounding and pulled away.

The dust and smoke that they created settled down beside them, a huge, gigantic, hole lie in front of the three breasts as they waited for the four earth ninjas to make their way next to them.

"Well, it seems that was easy…" one Earth ninja started, but the scene before him halted all talking and movement from said ninja and his comrades.

There in the hole…was nothing. No bodies, no blood…no nothing.

But the four ninjas could have sworn they seen the two ninjas go down and get slammed into the ground, there was no way they could have escaped…they saw the whole thing.

"Where are they," one asked his friends who just shrugged their shoulders.

They looked around, hoping to spot the ninjas in the trees, but they weren't up there. They tried looking at the ground, figuring that they could be using the same technique used back at the valley, where they hid themselves underground, but spotted no movement and they _certainly_ weren't being pulled under.

It was then that a small marble-like ball rolled in front of the bewildered ninjas, going unnoticed as the four ninjas continued to look around for the missing Leaf shinobis.

The marble exploded into a giant cloud of black smoke, surrounding and temporarily blinded the earth shinobis.

Sai and Naruto jumped in then, going on other senses to locate the four shinobis through the dark, heavy, vapor. Clanks noises from kunais striking each other and punches being made were the only thing being heard from the brawl, cries of pain was heard next as, one by one, the earth ninjas were thrown out of the black cloud and onto the ground.

They cradled bruising wounds as they picked themselves up, only to be knocked right back down by the two Leaf shinobis as they zoomed out of the black smoke and back again.

The Earth ninjas were getting tired of being the ones tormented, so they wanted to change the odds. Picking them selves up, they joined in a huddle, where three stood in front as the last one stood behind them. That one did a quick hand sign, bringing their three vine-like humans together, forming a much bigger and powerful creature.

The creature stood heights that reached the tops of the trees around it, wide and thick as a building so nothing could penetrate it. Its orders, summoned by the shinobi who created it were to destroy the two Leaf ninjas…and that was exactly what it did.

Before Sai and Naruto knew what happened, a giant green hand had grabbed them out of nowhere, picking them up in the air and squeezed them, tightly, in a fist. It was trying to crush them to death…it was going to crush them to death, and there was nothing they could do about it.

* * *

Donsu and his men leaped out of the way of another blast of spiked stones that spiraled towards them and the cliffs. It was their fourth attempt at dodging those things and Donsu was losing more men than he intended. He had to put a stop to this and soon. 

"Look out," one of his men cried out to him as a spike appeared and just missed him by a centimeter.

Donsu was preparing for another one, when he notice that the spikes were receding into the ground again, settling back as if nothing had happened.

He and his men waited…it could be a trick, he thought as they waited for the spikes to come back up…but nothing happened.

They waited…and waited; until finally, Donsu had an idea…this was his chance.

He quickly made his way to the floor of the valley, his men pleading him not to, and stood in the opening. He waited for something to happen…anything, but nothing.

Donsu smirked before doing a quick hand sign and slammed both his palms on the ground, he read his surroundings and found his targets…his smirk grew wider.

"Found you, Kakashi," he yelled before he closed his eyes and concentrated.

The ground before him, rumbled, before its solid rock substance changed into a dark, muddy substance that rolled and rolled into waves.

Donsu pushed out his chakra into the mud and made a giant wave, letting it fall and recreating it again and again until, finally, it brought up a white haired shinobi and his partner.

He let the wave of mud settle, before letting it hardening back into its rock solid form like before.

Kakashi coughed up the mud and dirt that somehow got through his mask and almost smothered him; he could hear Taro having the same problem.

"I never thought the Copy Ninja would have to hide to fight his own battles," Donsu taunted, creating a stone-block to slam into Kakashi, sending the Fire ninjas sliding into another one he created soon afterwards.

Kakashi tried getting up but, he was tiring, the use of his Sharingan had that effect on him. Keeping his chakra sealed and creating those spikes and making those stones walls move was a lot of work than he thought, it only made him exert himself too much and now he was vulnerable.

"Tired already, Kakashi," Donsu continued, his own men climbed down from the cliffs' face, enjoying their leader's excitement at beating the so-called feared Copy Ninja.

He sent another stone-block Kakashi's way, but in the last moments the white haired ninja jumped over it, so in a quick second, Donsu built another one and sent it in the air the same time Kakashi leaped, slamming the stone right into Kakashi's chest, knocking him to the ground and out of breath.

"You can't keep up," Donsu noticed and then laughed.

This was easy.

Kakashi only groaned and coughed, shakily trying to stand back up after his fall.

"I'm starting to think that that Sharingan of yours is leading to your downfall, Kakashi," Donsu stated before sending another stone into the air over both Taro and Kakashi's head.

"It's too bad that this fight would have to end so quickly."

Kakashi, in his last attempts, the little fight left in him, quickly made a hand sign that would create the spikes again, but the little chakra he had left, only made one spear to form.

"Still trying, I see," Donsu smirked, bringing the stones up a little bit higher. "But you're already too late…you're finish."

It was true, Kakashi had nothing left and so has the last of his body strength left him, he collapsed on the ground, his spear he created crumble to the ground as well.

Donsu laughed, turning to his men, signaling them to do the same, they did. He turned back to the poor white haired shinobi, just some feet away from him and put on a pity-face for the young man.

"Good-bye, Kakashi," he said before he release his powers over the stones that hovered above both ninjas, letting them fall and crush the poor ninjas on the heads.

* * *

Sakura fell immediately on her knees, her life slowly leaving her. She hunched over and caught herself with her hands before falling, which were slowly weakening under her own weight as one cough of a black substance left her mouth, indicating her last breath. 

The three Earth shinobis took notice of this…black blood…???

Sakura body finally slumped down onto the ground, where, slowly, her body drained out and melted into the same black substance…black ink.

Suddenly, Kiyoshi, in the one ninja's hold was melting under his grip, covering him with the same liquid as it dissolved into a puddle on the ground, leaving the man empty handed.

It was the same for the man on top of the wall, his two captives liquefied in his hands, forming two puddles onto the valley's floor.

"What the…" one ninja, the ninja that stood over what was once the pink-haired shinobi's body shockingly stated.

"It's a trick," the other one, covered in ink, made clear. His comrades nodding in an agreement, they had to warn their leader.

* * *

Before Sai and Naruto knew what happened, a giant green hand had grabbed them out of nowhere, picking them up in the air and squeezed them, tightly, in a fist. It was trying to crush them to death…it was going to crush them to death, and there was nothing they could do about it. 

The four Earth ninjas watched as the life was being squeezed out of the two Leaf shinobis.

They laughed, enjoyed the sound of bones crushing…but it wasn't until they heard a puff and saw a rush of smoke come from the creature's hand, did they notice that something was wrong.

They looked up to find one of the shinobis missing…vanished…a puff of smoke was the only thing left in his place.

The other one, well, he was slowly seeping out and between the creature's balled fists. The black ooze slowly dripped to the ground, right there in front of the four Earth ninjas.

"It's a trick," one blurted out.

They quickly flickered off; they needed to warn their leader.

* * *

"Good-bye, Kakashi," he said before he release his powers over the stones that hovered above both ninjas, letting them fall and crush the poor ninjas on the heads. 

The two bodies from Fire Country lied still on the ground, a stone-block crushing their heads, killing them instantly.

As his men cheered, Donsu looked at the scene with a frown…it was too easy, he thought to himself. He killed the Copy Ninja, and it was easy, he continued to remind himself.

Suddenly, the two dead bodies, disappeared into a cloud of smoke, leaving only the impression of what was once bodies on the ground and the stones that supposed to have killed them.

His men were silence for that moment, just realizing that it was a trick, they all were tricked.

In that moment, seven of Donsu's men jumped behind the silent Earth leader, bowing down to him for respect and for what they were about to tell him.

"Sir, it's about those ninjas you sent us to go after," one started. "Well…"

* * *

The real Kakashi and his group were running towards Fire Country borders, they were just halfway there, thanking the heavens that their plan had worked in their favor. They needed that distraction in order to get to the border…it seems as if it had worked. 

"The last of my clones has been destroyed, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto informed the white haired shinobi. He was carrying Kiyoshi on his back, while they hurried along the main path to Konoha.

"Mine has also been destroyed," Sai put in while he carried Ayame on his back.

Taro had Shin on his, Kakashi just led the way with Sakura in the back of the group.

"Good, then we keep moving," Kakashi ordered, leaping over a branch…that meant that they were approaching trees, he thought, they were almost there.

But first, they had to go across a suspension bridge that spanned a river at more than a thousand feet high.

"We're not actually going to cross that thing…are we," Ayame asked as she climbed down from Sai's back. "It looks unstable."

"We're going to have to, if we want to get you and your family to Konoha," Sai answered as he made his way on the bridge first. Taro and Sakura went after him; they kept some space between each other so the roped-bridge wouldn't sway as much.

"You just have to sort of glide your way across," Sakura said over her shoulder, trying to make sense of the matter, her way of comforting people who were new to the whole crossing-a-bridge sort of thing.

Kiyoshi turned to his wife and smiled, "It's okay, Ayame, we just have to do what they do and it should be easy." He took her hand and eased her on the first step of the bridge. It swayed a little, but nothing too dramatic, but Ayame pulled away from it anyways.

"I don't know, I've never been across one, it looks unsafe," she rushed.

"Only because you're scared, now come on," Kiyoshi took her hand in his again and guide her onto the bridge. Naruto was right behind her, smiling, but also trying to give her words of comfort.

"All you have to do is don't look down. That's my motto," he announced with a big smile.

Ayame groaned but she followed his advice anyway, keeping her eyes straight and forward.

Shin peered over the edge of the cliff and at the rushing water below. They were up so high; he started to feel a little queasy.

"I suggest you take Naruto's words to heart and don't look down," Kakashi dully stated behind him.

Shin turned to look at him and glared. After a while of staring at the seemingly smiling shinobi, he turned back around and faced the bridge again. Taking a deep breath, he stepped onto the bridge, making his way with the group, but easing off when the bridge rocked a little.

Kakashi was the last to get on, he took quick glances behind him, making sure they weren't being followed…and they weren't.

They were halfway on the bridge when, suddenly, there was a tremendous shake that came over the suspended bridge.

Ayame screamed and ran over to her husband, causing the bridge to swing even more.

"You're a sly ninja. I'll give you that," Donsu suddenly yelled from the landing behind them with his men close behind. They weren't on the bridge, itself, but they were near… with kunais in their hands.

Donsu stared Kakashi square in the eye, his face red from anger and embarrassment. "But sadly, Kakashi, you're not sly enough."

Kakashi didn't say anything, but he did frown, it showed in his right eye. He didn't like how and where this was going.

Donsu chuckled, before pacing the edge of the cliff a little bit and peering over to look at the river below. He looked back up at the group again, his smile never faulting.

"I can't let you get to Konoha," Donsu spoke, slowly letting a determined frown cross over his face.

"What are you saying," Ayame asked, shakily, tears already falling down onto her face.

Donsu took his kunai and brought it over to one of the ropes supporting the bridge.

"You're mad," Kiyoshi screamed.

The Earth ninja just ignored them as he cut through the rope, letting collapse before he cut through the other one, leaving the family and the Konoha ninjas to just stand there on the bottom beam of the bridge.

Naruto growled, anger swelling on his face as Donsu bended aiming his knife to cut one of the ropes keeping the bottom intact.

"You're crazy," Sakura yelled.

"You're just going to kill us," Kiyoshi asked.

Donsu chuckled big time for that, he glanced over the family, ending his scan at the boy…the Uchiha.

"Kakashi won't let that happen…right," Donsu looked at Kakashi whose body seem to tense as Donsu cut one of the bottom ropes, causing the support to tilt and sending the group down, plummeting, to the rushing water below.

Kakashi and the group hit the water hard, only to resurface seconds later, gasping for air.

Donsu watched from above, making sure everyone was accounted for…of the family of course, he could careless to whatever happens to the Copy Ninja and his team.

"Sir, you think that was a good idea," One of his men asked him.

Donsu smirked before turning to look at said ninja. "It's one of my best yet." He then turned to head back down the route away from Fire Country. Their plan succeeded in a way, the boy still hasn't gotten to Konoha, he was still alive, and they knew exactly were the river ended…they just had to be there before they lost track of the group…before they could escape again.

"Hurry," Donsu yelled at his men. "I want to get there on time."

The Earth ninjas followed behind their leader, scurrying down the path and towards the valley again…they had at least, two days, before they would reach the river's end. Surely the group would be gone by then.

* * *

Hidden on the other side of the landing, two shadows had watched the scene take place. 

One laughed, while the other one just continued to stare in the distance.

"How evil of you, Itachi, letting your little brother take the plunge like that. He's probably dead by now," Kisame laughed.

Itachi only narrowed his eyes, his only hint of how annoying his partner was being.

"Let's go," he commanded before slipping into the darkness of the trees. His partner was close behind, mumbling on how brothers should always help brothers, it was a rule.

Itachi only ignored him more.

TBC...

* * *

AN: I'm don't have to ask, but I will...how was it? I tried, eheheheheh 

You know what to do...review...Pretty Pretty Please, Thank you.


	13. Looking Through Deception: Part 1

**AN**: First, I would like to say sorry for the loooooong wait for this chapter, but I think I made up for with this realllu loooong chapter (**another combination of two chapters**). I hope it's good with it being so long and all and not long an boring. But, see, I tried keeping it interesting with, you know, fighting scenes and drama emotions among the main characters and all, so I hope you don't get bored.

Next, I'll like to **THANK** everyone who had reviewed for last chapter and for those who PM me to see how I was doing and to let me know that they cared with me disappearing all of a sudden...so THANKS A BILLION.

Lastly, I hoped you enjoy this interesting entry and I hope it keeps your attention. Next time I won't make it as long and hopefully I won't take as long on the update.

ENJOY

* * *

Looking Through Deception: Part 1

He hated this, Shin thought.

He sat next to his parents, shivering, dripping wet, and aching as he watched the five ninjas just some feet before him. They looked exhausted, strained, and just a bit irritated… but they were quickly recovering, especially from their earlier ordeal in the river.

**Flashback…**

_The river carried them further into harsher torrents. Its rapid, rough, waters shoving them in every direction and slamming water so harshly into their faces, it was becoming harder for them to figure out exactly where they were going. _

_But one thing was for sure, they were getting closer to a waterfall, they could hear it…the sound of rushing water cascading over the mountainous edge and plunging into a pool of water below…with jagged rocks at the bottom. _

_It would make for a deadly end if one was to fatefully take the fall, but Team 7 along with their companions was making it a righteous effort to not take that chance._

_They were swimming with all their might to buy time until a plan could form in their heads as to how they would be getting out of this dangerous situation. _

_It never took them long, but considering the circumstances, concentration was becoming difficult. _

_Water slammed powerfully into their faces, getting into their mouths and blocking air supply. At times they were shoved under the water's surface and would be tossed and turned every which way the torrents forced upon their bodies. At other times, they were being slammed, viciously, against rocks that surrounded the river's edge, causing pain and bruises to form and dizziness. _

_Yes, it was a difficult task…to form thought… but there was hope._

_And that hope was in the form of…_

_"Shadow clone Jutsu," Naruto yelled over the water. He and his clones formed a chain link from the middle of the river to land, where one of the blonde clones held onto an embedded root sticking out of the ground near the river's edge, while Naruto, himself, had a grip on Sakura. _

_Sakura grabbed onto Kiyoshi who grabbed on to his wife, who reached for Sai's hand, who other hand held onto Taro, who had Kakashi and who lastly held onto Shin's._

_"Hold on," Naruto groaned as he commanded that his clones start pulling them towards ground._

_And they did, no one let go and not even the ruthless, white waters could tear them apart._

_And when they finally made it onto land, the exertion of the whole ordeal proved to be an exhausting feat as they all laid panting and aching on the ground. _

**End of Flashback…**

Now…now Shin, sat angry, tired and annoyed. He couldn't help but clench his hands into tight fists at the frustration building within his body… he was livid, physically and emotionally at the very least…and it was all the ninjas fault.

If they hadn't of come then they wouldn't have been in this mess. He and his parents would have been safe in their own home, back in their home-village and…well, safe…_period_.

The ninjas say they were here to protect them, but all they were doing was getting them into more dangerous situation after another and Shin didn't like it…his family was in danger and it was only a matter of time before…He shook his head clear of the thought. No, no one was going to die, not his family…_not again_.

He turned to look at his mother and father and frowned.

They were all helpless…he was helpless and there was nothing he could do about it…and it angered him that he was so weak and…_worthless_.

The feeling of shame settled within him, easing off some of the anger he had built up inside.

Was it his fault, he thought suddenly. His whole body cringed at the thought. The whole reason why they were in these dangerous situations was because of him. Those people, strangers, did say that they wanted him for a purpose that he, himself couldn't…_didn't want to_…understand.

So was it his fault that his family was in danger?

He took a quick glance at the ninjas and then back at his parents; they too looked exhausted and a little bit… nervous.

Were they scared…were they afraid that he would get them killed…

Again, he shook his head, no of the negative thoughts.

"Are you okay," his mother asked him suddenly and softly as she brushed the wet strands of hair out of his face and rubbed a smooth, shaky, hand over his pale cheek.

He nodded his head, yes, but it was a lie.

How they could stand to look at him, now, of all things that have happened so far, he could never understand. It was pointless, he was pointless.

He shut his eyes tightly and clenched his hands even tighter at the thought, because for some reason he was starting to believe them…he felt them…these thoughts. Just how worthy is he…to have a family who loves him and to put them in danger like this. Just how was he to accept that he wasn't the cause… because truthfully, he was the cause of everything.

His hands shook at the strength and relentlessness he forced upon them, turning his knuckles white and causing veins to pop upon his fisted hands.

His eyes burned with frustration and they itched with unshed tears, or from the water that was slammed into his face earlier, he couldn't decide, but either one would have done nicely to explain his bent up disappointment, because he surely wasn't going to cry…no, he was not going to show weakness.

He forced opened his eyes and took one last look at the ninjas before him and gave them a hidden glare before he put all his attention back on his parents.

No, this wasn't his fault…_it's not; it just couldn't be_… it was theirs, because, really, none of this wouldn't have happened if it weren't for them.

But a nagging feeling kept telling him differently, so painfully so.

Shin sighed; he hated this, he whispered to himself. He hated this, a lot.

* * *

When night fell, they found a cave at the bottom and behind the very waterfall that they cheated death with. It was highlighted in the colors of several shades of brown, with dripstones that littered both ceiling and floor of the cave. 

Further into the cave, they found a small pond that must have leaked its way from the water above, through the ground and into the cracks that also littered the cavern's ceiling.

The group went deeper into the cave, until Kakashi considered it was deep enough to reside in and still be hidden from the entrance when they started a fire.

After a while, the five shinobis separated from the rest of the group, leaving the family at the fire to warm up from their still damped clothing and to eat (They had caught some fish before entering the cave, and they were now baking them over a burning fire).

"I got only two shurikens and one kunai knife with me," Sai answered as they inventoried what was left of what they had on them.

It turns out that they lost a lot of weapons and valuables that could aid them on the mission. All together, they only had four kunai knives, six shurikens, about two exploding tags (but they were ineffective, considering that they got wet and were now rendered useless), some smoke bombs, for distraction purposes, and lastly, about ten feet of wire. But on the bright side, they still had their three jutsu techniques.

Kakashi sighed and ran a hand through his unruly silvery-white hair.

"That's bad, right," Naruto asked, sitting down on the rocky ground and crossed his legs. "I mean, if we run into the enemy again then we…"

"We would be seriously defenseless, weapons wise. And in using jutsu, we would loss a lot of chakra especially with the enemies we've faced so far," Kakashi stated and squatted on his heels to get eye level with his team. He wasn't trying to put everyone down with the negatives, he just wanted them out in the open… and clear.

"So we're back to where we started…in hiding from the enemy and protecting the family," Sai inquired.

The white-haired Jonin nodded his head as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "We're going to need to be extra careful not to run into any of our adversaries. And even more stealth in trying to avoid them."

Silence filled the cave except for the crackling of the fire.

"But if we do run into…" Taro wanted to make known.

"Then we will just have to deal with them when the time comes," Kakashi answered. "But if that chance should happen, we might want to go over some things as to what to do when the situation arrives."

The four other ninjas nodded in agreement.

"First thing first, we're going to need two teams," Kakashi started.

"A diversion team and an evasion team to take the family and escape," Sakura noted.

"Exactly."

"I volunteer to be part of the diversion team," Naruto offered.

"Me too," Sai agreed.

"I want you two…," Kakashi pointed at Taro and Sakura. "…to escape with the family, no stopping or turning back, am I clear.

"Crystal," Taro answered. Sakura just nodded her head, yes.

"Good."

Silence filled once again among the ninjas as a few sounds of water dripping into the cave's pond and the sizzling of fish cooking over the fire surrounded them.

"If anything should happen, Sakura, I want you to take the boy and run as fast as you can. That would be our second plan if things happen to go wrong…got it?"

Four ninjas nodded their heads, yes.

Kakashi looked upon his team and companion and saw troubled looks. All of them did not want the outcome to be unsuccessful, let alone, tragic. But in the world of a ninja, things like this were bound to be considered one way or another. And Kakashi found that he was saddened by that. Sure, he had accepted it a long time ago, a _very_ long time ago, and fate showed him many examples of a ninja's tragic end, but for some reason, he couldn't accept this fate…not with his team, with Taro, or the family. He just wanted one mission, one point in his lifetime, where he didn't have to loss people every time he would gain some and that he didn't have to watch the ones he cared about die before his very eyes. Yes, he was sure that he wouldn't survive in one mission someday in the future, maybe this one, but he knew that he might see one of his own precious people die in front of him before it was his time…and it both frightened him and angered him…angered him more than anything. It made him feel…helpless…worthless, and if anything, bad luck.

He took his eyes away from his sadden teammates and looked upon the family, mostly the boy.

_You better be worth it_, he found his mind retorting to the boy and then got rid of the thought all together…all of the thoughts.

His emotions were getting in the way, and well, that wasn't good for the mission anyway. But still, they were going through this all because of the boy, who they still did not know if he really _is_ the missing Uchiha. Yeah, they had two clues already figured out, but they meant nothing if they weren't completely convince, and right now, they weren't completely convinced…_he_ wasn't fully convinced.

He took his eyes away from the boy and the family and stood up, figuring he should take a walk around the cave to familiarize his self with his surroundings just in case enemies showed up.

"I'll be back," he started to walk off but a firm hand was placed on his shoulders, stopping his movements.

Kakashi looked over his shoulder to see Taro standing behind him.

"Can we talk for a moment," the other Jonin asked.

Kakashi nodded and he put some distance between his team so they could talk. He then faced Taro with a bored look.

"Well, we already know that Konoha has other entrances beside the west," Taro started.

Kakashi only nodded.

"That leaves us with the North, South, and East entrance to try and border Fire Country."

A pause settled between the two as Kakashi waited for Taro to continue.

"Well, I was thinking, just a thought though, that maybe if we split up: two take the north, two take the south, and one with the family takes the east entrance since it's not so often traveled on that that could be our next plan. As brash as it may sound, maybe even ridiculous, it may be the right thing to do."

Kakashi raised his exposed eyebrow, already figuring out where this idea was leading to.

"You think if we work foolishly than it would catch our enemies off guard, since they expect us to play it safe all the time," Kakashi stated.

"Exactly, I mean I know it's a risky plan, but it might just work in our favor, but it's just a thought so I just wanted to speak to you about it, you know, to get your opinion on it."

Kakashi considered it, but he didn't like it…it being so out of the rules and so chancy…many things could go wrong with that plan. And it was the only reason why he made the decision to not take it into any more consideration.

"I appreciate the idea, but the chances of it actually going in our favor would be zero to none and that's _with_ all things considered. I apologies, Taro, it's just not safe."

Taro nodded his head in agreement, "Yeah, I was just throwing something out there, but thanks…." And he left it at that.

Kakashi only nodded his head before walking away and into darkness.

* * *

Shin rubbed at his eyes for the umpteenth time today since their narrow escape from the waterfall. He thinks that maybe the water must have damaged his eyes a little, making them a little irritable, but they didn't hurt, they just itched a lot, felt kind of dry.

After the tenth rub, he gave up and placed his arms on top of his knees, which were pulled up to his chest, and watch the fire flicker little designed onto the cave's wall.

It wasn't until he noticed the small group in the far corner in front of him, did he notice the ninja leader heading out for the cave's entrance. He watched the white-haired man's back disappear into the darkness before he chose to look somewhere else, and it was then that his dad coughed again, but it soon had his dad going into a coughing fit. It was the fourth one this day and it seemed to be getting worst than better like he thought it would.

"Honey, you okay," Ayame pat her husband on the back and then rubbed it to sooth some of the coughing away.

"Yeah…just got choked…I guess," Kiyoshi said between coughing.

"Here, drink this, maybe it will sooth your throat a little," Ayame handed him a small bowl with warm water in it. She was sterilizing the water they got from the waterfall, pouring it into the shinobi's canteens for the journey.

"Thanks," Kiyoshi took the bowl and down the liquid in one quick gulp before handed it back to his wife. "How are you doing, son, you're a little quiet over there. Is something troubling you," he asked.

Shin looked at his parents, their worried faces telling him that they had time to spare, that they had their own problem but they were always willing and patient enough to hear what was on his mind, no matter what the situation was.

He unfolded himself to scoot closer to his parents, laying his head on his mother's shoulder and closed his eyes, "Nothing, I'm fine. Everything is…" he sighed. "…just fine." A lie again, but he only did it to protect them and not have them worry too much, they didn't need it now.

Ayame wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him into a big hug, kissing the top of his head and then leaning the side of her cheek on the same place. She even rocked him back and forth, thinking he was just tired.

"Go to sleep, Shin. I'll wake you when the food is ready okay," she offered before giving him another kiss to the top of his head.

"Okay," he whispered, but he said it so softly, he didn't hear his own voice.

Later that night, when everyone was sleeping, Shin tossed and turned, having another one of those nightmares. They always ended the same, and he always saw those red eyes, but in this one, there was an image of a nose appearing from under the shadows. He sat up from the hard floor, in a cold sweat and shivering. The last bit of the nightmare still visually replaying under the influence of him still being half asleep, but he quickly got rid of those by shaking his head and doing his original routine in denying the delusion all together.

He sat on the floor, calming his erratic heartbeat and calming his breathing, for about a minute, before getting up and quietly waking towards the entrance.

The cave was pretty dark, but he memorized the path when they entered so he just visualized it in his head to lead him in the right direction, it wasn't until he was close to the entrance and heard the rushing water of the waterfall, did the cave became dimmed with a little light from the moon and stars. And when he finally made it to the opening, he just sat near the entryway, watching the night sky through the curtains of running water. He closed his eyes and let the mist moistened his face and cleanse the sweat that had gathered there from his nightmare as he listened to the thick watery sound that eased him into a state of emptiness. It put him into a trance; soothing him to a much calmer more relax state than anything…and he loved it.

He was in the moments of falling straight to sleep again when he felt it. The feeling of being watched and having eyes bury right through him like they were boring a hole into him, at least, that's what it felt like.

He quickly opened his eyes and peered through the falling water. The moon didn't light everything and he only saw shadows of what he would expect to see outside…the intricate moonlighting designing the surface of the large stream that flowed under the waterfall, the surrounding trees and their swaying branches from the slight breeze of the midnight air, night creatures that hunted during the darkness of the dark sky, and two shadowy figures.

Shin blinked and rubbed at his eyes for the reason that they were itching again, and that, he wasn't sure he saw exactly what he had seen. Looking at the shadows again, they were still there. He could only see the outline of them, somewhat disfiguring among the surrounding trees, but they were there…watching…watching him. He couldn't figure out how they could see him, he kept thinking that they couldn't see him behind the massive falling of water, but, somehow, he knew that they could and it startled him.

The figures just stood there, did nothing, and Shin was becoming uneasy.

He stood up and walked closer to the opening, but stopping just short of the plunging water. And it was then that he noticed that one of them had moved… in just a blink of an eye, one of them had moved right in front of him. The only thing separating them was the waterfall between them...and Shin felt as though it wasn't enough to shield him…to keep him safe from the watchful eyes before him.

The figure reached out with a hand, guiding it in through the powerful sprays and towards him.

Shin's body trembled as the hand wrapped itself around his throat, cutting off his air supply by squeezing firmly.

But Shin, didn't move, he couldn't, and the grip surrounding his neck only squeezed tighter.

With little air that did pass his lips, he whimpered and the beginning of tears burned at the edge of his eyes, falling when his eyes became widen with terror.

He felt himself being lifted off the stone ground and being pulled forward out and through the entrance, being pounded upon by the heavy spray of water and being brought outside. The figure never once loosened his grip and Shin was beginning to struggle now.

And as the moon's light outlined the figure that held him, Shin could make out everything on the person. A red and black cloak surrounded the dark figure while a conical straw hat sat lowly over the person's head.

And it was then, with a free hand, that the straw hat was being removed by the figure. It slides off onto the stream surface, being carried away by the slow moving current.

Eyes appeared…two, red, glowing, spinning eyes. And Shin found himself being pulled towards the face, becoming eye level with the crimson orbs. The hand loosened some from around his throat and a voice spoke…

"_Scream for me, little brother_."

And that was exactly what Shin did, he screamed, and he shut his eyes tightly because at that moment a sword was being raised and it was coming at him with swift speed, aiming for his neck, and…

Shin jumped out of his sitting position near the entrance of the cave and fell onto his hands and knees. He anxiously looked around him, gripping at his now sore throat, because he still felt a hand there, he still felt a presence there that was scaring the life out of him and it was making him go crazy.

He felt hot tears run down his face, but he didn't acknowledge them because he was still looking for that person, that person that stayed constantly in his dreams…and in his head.

When he was certain that no one was near, wanting to kill him, he let his body go limp and collapsed on the stone ground, cradling his knees up against his chest and letting the tears flow silently as fear overwhelmed him.

He was all alone, suffering through this burden that went through his head almost every day, and he would continue to go through it until it finally went away…and they would, eventually…someday…maybe…

A small whimper escaped between his trembling lips as he buried himself deep within himself to escape from the cold that settled around him.

"Please," he pleaded to no one in particular. "Please, make this go away, I-I don't want to go through this a-anymore, please…p-please…please." And he continued this pleading until, restlessly, he feel asleep, tears still falling absently down his face.

It was only moments later that Kakashi found Shin at the entrance sprawled out on the ground, sleeping… in one piece.

Earlier, he had sensed the presence of two chakra signatures, one was familiar. He was still exploring the cave when he had felt the two beings but it wasn't until he had made his way back to the inner dwellings of which him and his team, along with the family was stationed did he notice that Shin was gone and the chakra energies were coming from outside the cave. He rushed as fast as he could to get to the boy, but by the time he finally reached the point of origin, the chakra signatures were long gone and he spotted the boy on the ground, asleep.

Kakashi peered through the waterfall cascading over the cave's mouth, judging if he should go out and check his traps that he had set up earlier. But he quickly changed his mind as he deemed the two signatures were some ways away by now and were probably not coming back, however, he did decide to stay by the entrance after taking the boy back to his bedroll next to his parents… and for cautious reason, he reckoned that he should stand guard over night, just to be on the safe side.

* * *

The next day… 

Southward was there next destination when they got up in the morning. There weren't as many turns and close secluded areas, like valleys, for them to get ambushed in; it was almost just a straight forward travel towards Konoha. Trees were their cover and they were also their solution to covering their tracks just in case they were being followed. But their little scheme didn't last, as just when they neared the Fire Country border, they were ambushed once again…by Earth ninjas. They were forced to land on ground as the top vicinity of the trees became too crowded.

It was shocking because they didn't sense them like last time. Before, they felt them coming, felt their presence, and it was with that knowledge that they used both Naruto's shadow clones and Sai's ink clones to divert the Earth shinobis attention away from them as they tried to escape. But with this one…this time, they didn't get any heads up on the whereabouts or the intention of the enemy ninjas…their presence were cloaked somehow, much to Kakashi's surprise; he didn't sense them until it was too late, when the Earth ninjas had already materialized from within the trees…appearing in hundred more than what they were earlier.

It was then Kakashi realized that some were just illusions, but that knowledge didn't sit too well in his stomach.

"How is it that they know exactly where we're going," Sakura asked quietly as they formed a circle around the Unomis. "I mean, there were so many possibilities in which direction we could have taken, but they knew exactly when and where we were heading to. It's like…"

"It's like they were tracking us somehow, secretly watching our every move, or reading our thought," Naruto finished for her.

Silence took over the group as well as suspicion as they thought of all the ways the Earth ninjas could have tracked them.

Chakra signatures could have been a big possibility, but they were careful as to hide their signatures, even in hiding.

But they quickly emptied their minds as there were more pressing matters that needed to be dealt with first, liking trying to figure out how to escape.

"Kakashi, Kakashi, Kakashi…we got to stop meeting like this," Donsu appeared in tens among the group, making a much smaller circle enclosing around the Leaf ninjas and the family.

"If you just give me the boy, I _might_, just might, let you and the other go free."

Kakashi didn't find the importance to retort back to the Earth leader's comment. He was too busy figuring out a new plan.

To be honest, he wasn't sure if they knew of their distract-evasion plan, there was no telling if they didn't know, but he couldn't be sure. He considered, if they knew of where they were going, then it could be possible…a big possibility…that they knew of their escape plan, at least the one with the boy getting away safely to Konoha in the hands of Sakura alone. But deep down, somewhere nagging the hell out of him, told him that they didn't know and there was a big chance that _that _plan could still work. He hoped, but from the looks of things that plan might not be at its best at the moment.

"You think I don't know which ones the real you," Kakashi threatened.

Donsu smirked, "True, but you see, Kakashi, _you _may be able to see which one is the real me and which ones are the real ones among my men, but your comrades can not. And we both know that you can't fight and protect both the family and your companions at the same time… it's just isn't possible."

Kakashi frowned, his shoulders tensing… hating that he was mentally agreeing with the Earth-ninja leader.

He thought about retaliating with a bunch of his own clones illusions, along with his team following his course of action, but that plan would have brought about chaos as the family would be left vulnerable and surround by a clone induce battle. So that plan was out.

And the more he thought about it and other plans; none of them seem to be the best, not in keeping everyone safe.

"Trouble figuring out an escape," Donsu taunted, taking Kakashi out of his musing. "Seriously, I should be honored; since, I just stumped the Great Copy-ninja into giving up, because we all know that there's no escaping this time…_ you_ can't figure it out, not without making sacrifices. And that's one weakness I've figured out about you Kakashi. Since these pass few days, I found out more about you than some bingo book, and, honestly, I'm quite surprise at myself," Donsu chuckled at the complete irony of the situation.

"_I_, Donsu of the Earth Country, just figured out the Great Kakashi of Fire Country weakness. They'll put this in books; I'll become a legend and take all of the glory, after killing you of course… yes, I can't forget about that now can I."

"You think I'm just going to stand here and let you kill me," Kakashi argued.

"No," the Earth ninja snorted. "What's the fun in that? It would be shameful if you were to just let me kill you so easily… very shameful."

"I guess it can't be helped," Kakashi retorted. Instantly, letting his shoulders roll back, relaxing them and stood sluggishly, his stance showing no sign of threat or defense just…boredom.

He had a plan.

Donsu once smug face dropped soon after as suspicion took over. He knew that Kakashi wouldn't just give up so effortlessly, that's why he taunted the young Jonin so much about it. And it was also why he hinted a fight between the Copy-ninja and himself because of that very same reason. So it bothered him, put him on guard, to see the ninja, so…so…what was he doing? He was thrown off by the action, not knowing what to really take in as a reason for it.

Was it a giving up movement?

Was it a carefree stance?

…Boredom?

He couldn't choose and it left him edgy and anxious because he couldn't predict the young man's movements, his thoughts, his action, and, damn it, it was making him angry. This was not how he saw his plan working. _He must have a plan figured out_, he told himself, _but how_?

Donsu tried figuring that thought out as he watched the white-haired Jonin tilt his head up to gaze up at the sky and he found himself getting annoyed. And he could only take so much of the carefree gestures as Kakashi casually stuck his hands into his pants pockets, and it was his breaking point.

"Attack," Donsu thoughtlessly ordered his men to move.

It was in those moments, when his men were just inches from colliding with the five Fire ninjas, did Kakashi, quickly detach his hands from his pockets, retrieving two smoke bombs and sent them hurling to the ground, causing two big explosion to occur of smoky debris. The hundreds of Earth ninjas were momentarily blinded and confused as the smoky slowly vanished to reveal, the five Fire ninjas and the family had disappeared.

It was then Donsu cursed his stupidity, "Damn you, Kakashi."

* * *

Shin held on tight while on the back of the female ninja. She moved swiftly through the trees and every now and then she would look back to see if they were being followed.

"Hold on, Shin," she warned him as she sped up a little faster through the trees. "Don't let go of me, okay."

Shins tightened his arms around her shoulders and shield his face from the harsh wind.

They were alone, separated from the rest after their quick escape from the Earth ninjas. It happened so quickly that all Shin remember was being surrounded by smoke and someone grabbing him from behind and carrying his upwards. He kept his eyes close the whole time not wanting to see if they were being followed or if the others were with him. He knew, though, when he didn't hear the others heavy breathing or the taps of their sandals around him that they weren't, but he figured that they were probably far behind, putting some safe distance among the group, at least he was hoping that they were near.

Suddenly, two kunais was thrown at Sakura from her left and she veered to the right to dodge them. Two more was thrown, barely missing her neck, causing her to have to turn more to the right and off course than her original destination.

_They're leading me somewhere_, she thought to herself. _I have to get Shin out of here and somewhere safe_.

Not to soon did she think this, did she notice a tree up ahead, rocking back and forth. Its leaves scattering and falling to the ground, where she noticed a man, his arms were wrapped tightly around the tree trunk, trying to lift the tree from its grounded state. But the man wasn't an Earth ninja, he was one of the men back at Destiny who attack her and her teammates when they were in search of Shin…one of the men who were hard to defeat, the ones with the steel bodies.

The shock had Sakura forgetting the Earth ninjas that were following her as she stopped on top of a branch.

One came at her from the side and punched her in the jaw, causing Sakura to loss her footing, leaving her falling off the branch. She pivot in the air and grab onto the branch she once was standing on to stop her fall. She subconsciously felt Shin tighten his grip around her neck as he had lost his leg grip around her waist and was now dangling behind her. The other Earth ninja took the opening and jumped from a nearby tree and landed a punch into Sakura's stomach. Sakura stifled a groan as most of her attention was focus mainly on keeping her hold on the branch and making sure Shin didn't let go of her.

The first Earth shinobi step on the branch and started stomping on her fingers to get her to release and fall but Sakura stayed fast to the branch.

"Give up, you b-…" the Earth ninja started but stop short as he was kicked from behind by Sakura, herself. She had swung forward by her feet, bringing her body forward and behind the ninja, kicking him in the back, sending him tumbling down and her landing on the branch. She didn't have time to right herself before the other ninja tried to attack her with a punch, but she jumped out of the way just in time before the hit could land.

"Hold on, Shin," Sakura instructed as she landed on another branch, backwards, before jumping off of it shortly afterwards and spinning in the air to face forward again.

The next attach caught her completely off guard as she had completely forgot about the man at the ground floor who was trying to lift the tree out of the ground. It just so happen that, while being distracted by the two Earth ninjas, the man had manage to uproot the large tree and was now swinging the huge plant towards Sakura, just as she was heading forward in mid-air.

Sakura only had time to lift her arms up in an "x" formation to shield her self from the hurdling tree, before she was hit with brutal force and was sent flying backwards in the air.

Shin lost his grip around Sakura's neck then and was falling fast towards the trees and ground below.

"Uh," he hit his first tree limb in the shoulder and then another that caught him in the chest, knocking the air from his lungs. The next one caught him under his knees and had him spinning backwards before he hit another branch, just below the shoulder blades that had him spinning forward.

"Ah, uh," he continued to descend as he hit tree branch after tree branch until finally he hit the ground, where the only thing he saw after that was darkness.

* * *

"**SHIN**…**SHIN**," Ayame yelled over the battle that her and her husband were in the middle of. The Earth ninjas had caught up with them, effectively stopping the four male Fire ninjas and proceeded to attack them to where they were now surrounded and completely bombarded by Earth ninjas. Ayame and Kiyoshi were flung to the side to avoid most of the attack thrown mostly towards the Fire shinobis, but they weren't fast enough to escape the developing battle that they were now in the focus of.

Before, Ayame didn't notice that her son and the pink haired ninja weren't with her and the others. She did notice that when they were pushed aside that he wasn't near and only assumed the worst that he was somewhere alone, surrounded by the enemy ninjas and was probably trying to fight on his own. The fact that the pink haired ninjas could be with him, didn't occur to her, her imagination only showed her that her son was alone and scared…she was worried.

"**SHIN**, **WHERE ARE YOU**," she continued to yell. Her husband kept a firm grip around her waist, keeping her down and covered her with his own body to keep her from being struck by the flying weapons that decorated the air and ground.

"Stay, still Ayame. He's safe, don't worry…don't worry," he pleaded and at the same time yelled at her to try and calm her down as she struggled in his hold to try and search for her missing son.

"Please," she cried in his hold. "I hope you're telling me the truth. I hope he is safe."

Kakashi dodged out of the way of a kunai thrown at him, watching out for both his team and the couple. His sharingan was activated and he used it for his advantage to try and fight and protect the people precious to him. He just hoped that Sakura got to the border with the boy and sent help.

"I would stay focus if I were you, Kakashi," Donsu taunted, charging forward with a kunai in hand.

Kakashi once again dodged out of the way and spin-kicked the kunai out of Donsu's hand, where he attack Donsu with his own punches and kicks, all of which were dodged by Donsu.

The Earth shinobi leader blocked a kick, aiming for his neck, with his right wrist, and used his other hand to punch Kakashi in the chest that had the Fire ninja flying backwards and slamming into a tree.

Donsu smirked, dusting his hands off and walking over toward the fallen shinobi.

"You know, I forgot to mention it earlier, Kakashi, but I brought some friends with me…you know, to even up the score. I'm sure you'll appreciate the added company," Donsu mocked.

Kakashi picked himself up from the ground, he could feel himself tiring but he couldn't run off just yet. He had to make sure that he settled thing here for good. Starting the beginning signs of Lightening Blade, he didn't notice the ground underneath him shake before there was an explosion behind him and to his left. The force of the explosion shoved him forward and almost making him run into Donsu, but he jumped over the Earth leader and landed in front of the couple, his team coming at his side seconds later.

"What is that," Naruto asked.

The clearing of the smoke answered his question, before anyone else could answer. Among the debris stood Rye's men, about five in total, heaving and crazed looking as they sneered at the four ninjas and the couples before them.

Rye stepped from among his men and walked over to Donsu.

"It seems you started without me, Donsu," Rye asked.

"No, I was just warming them up, feel free to finish it," Donsu answered. "Besides, I have other things to attend to."

Donsu was about to walk away, when a firm grip pulled at his arm, just at the elbow.

"You know our deal, don't…"

Donsu snatch his arm out of Rye's grip and turned to face the man, their faces just inches from each other.

"Don't worry, I hadn't forgotten. Unless you forgot your part of the deal," Donsu threatened.

For a moment, they just stared at each other, sizing each other up and down…intimidating each other.

"No," Rye finally answered. "No, not at all."

"Good," Donsu smirked and turned to face Kakashi and his team. "Have fun, I have a boy to capture and a pretty pink shinobi to kill," his smirked deepened. "I'm sure our men has already got to her, probably doing all kinds of things to her."

Naruto sneered, "You bastard, if you hurt one hair on her head, I swear I'll…"

"You'll what…kill me," Donsu shook his head. "If you survive, I'll like to see you try."

And with that, Donsu and his men jumped to the trees heading south, where Sakura and Shin were headed.

Naruto was about to jump after them, when Kakashi put up his hand to stop him.

"But…"

"No," Kakashi interrupted Naruto's protest. "Not now. He have other things to attend to," his stated, his eyes never leaving the bulky sized men in front of him.

"But Sakura…"  
"Naruto," Kakashi interrupted once again, his eyes finally leaving Rye's men to look sternly at one of his students/teammates. "Trust me."

Naruto stared deep within his sensei's eyes and saw the confidence he needed to see and nodded his head in agreement.

"HEY," one of Rye's men yelled at the ninjas.

Kakashi and his team, along with the couple, looked the man's way, giving him their uninvited attention.

The man smirked, "Let's have some fun." And then him and the rest of Rye's men charged at them with blinding speed.

* * *

Shin groaned as he came to.

For a moment, as he just lied there on the ground with his eyes fluttering open… everything seemed like a daze. It was like he was just there, with no clue as to why he was there in the first place…on the ground, feeling empty…in shock. To him, it felt nonexistent, like an out-of-body experience that left him dull and numb on the inside, while the surrounding trees and the slight wind that blew over him made him shiver on the outside. But only for a moment did he feel this way. In a matter of seconds, realism struck him hard with the pain of his freefall. The hurt ripped throughout his body, ruthlessly, that it had him curling into a ball to try and alleviate some of the pain. It gradually lessened but the aches were still there.

Slowly, with shaky muscles, he climbed onto his hands and knees and carefully picked himself up. He was thankful that a sturdy tree was close by for him to lean on because as soon as he was upright, dizziness struck him and, soon afterwards, nausea, and the pain once again made themselves known with enormous comeback. He felt it in his neck, his stomach, his sides, and especially his head. And as he reached up to sooth away the aches in his head, his hand came across something wet and warm. It was then that he figured that his head was cut from his fall, just above his left eyebrow, running liquids of his blood down the side of his face and dropping down his chin. He wiped at the excess blood from his face and looked around. The last thing he remembered was Sakura getting hit and him falling, but he had no clue as to where exactly she may have landed, let alone exactly which direction he was in. To him, she could be anywhere; he just didn't know which direction was the right one…was he facing north or south…maybe she was flung that way, he thinks as he looked ahead. Turning around, to look behind him, he thinks it could have been that way in which she was thrown backwards? It only made his head hurt more, so with a heavy sigh, he leaned off the tree and wobbled in a direction he hoped Sakura might have landed.

It was too bad that he didn't notice the pair of eyes that was watching him.

* * *

"Ahhh," Sakura screamed as she was being squeezed to death by one of Rye's men. He had her lifted just a foot off the ground, her arms pinned to her side as the man squeezed with all his strength.

"Burst for me, sweetie," he taunted as he squeezed just a little tighter.

"Not…on…your…life," Sakura wheezed out as she head-butt the guy on the nose with her own strength, causing her release.

The man cradled his now broken nose, bending over to keep the blood from running down his face. He moaned, falling to his knees and whimpering from the painful ache in the middle of his face.

"You broke my nose, you b-…" Sakura didn't give him any time to finish what he started as she charged with chakra embedded in a fist and aimed it right in the middle of the man chest.

She expected the punch to break several ribs, maybe snap the man's spine in two, or something better like putting a hole in the middle of the man's chest. But none of those scenarios happened, not even a dent to prove that her effort wasn't in vain.

Pain…pain was what she felt instead. She wasn't expecting that and she believed that her hand was probably broken. She fell to her knees while cradling her hand into her other hand against her chest.

The man laughed, sounding stuffy because of his broken nose, but he taunted her anyway with his ruffle laugh.

"Thought, you had me didn't you," he continued to laugh, standing up. "Thought you could defeat me with your little chakra induced punch?"

Sakura smirked then, catching the man off guard. She stood, her once broken hand, fell to her side, healed and ready.

"H-how did you…" the man stuttered confusion written all over his face.

"Does it matter," She stated back with confidence. She had figured it out, testing her theory and it got her an answer, although the result in coming about the answer was a bit painful, it was a successful result in the end. Now all she had to do was complete the rest of her forming plan and look for Shin…who knows what the boy was going through.

She needed to make this quick.

Gathering chakra back into her hand, now fisted, she charged back at the man with speed and her own talented strength, and instead of aiming for his chest, she aimed for his face. The man was too shock to do much of anything, therefore his death came swiftly. A powerful punch in the face ended the man's life in an instant (gore and all), his lifeless body went flying backwards from the impact, colliding into a tree and ending at the ground floor and at Shin's feet who just appeared upon the scene.

"Shin," Sakura called out to him, both surprise to see him and surprise that he saw her kill someone. She hoped he didn't see her kill the guy. But as he just stood there, body shaking with horror and shock, she knew that he saw a good bit of the ending scene.

Sakura quickly wiped her bloodied hand across her shorts and rushed over towards the stunned boy, bringing her body in front and between the body on the ground and Shin as he continued to stare down at the body.

"Shin, look at me."

His head stayed bowed, not showing any sign of moving.

"Shin, look at me," Sakura placed her hands on the boy's upper arms and shook him a little, successfully getting his attention but his eyes were unfocused.

"What...you saw…it…I…." she didn't know how to explain it. It was her job for one thing, survival really, but it was also a gruesome scene for even a boy of his age to have to see… and having it done by a female would be kind of shocking.

Suddenly, there was a big booming sound coming from a distance. Sakura looked behind her, not noticing that Shin was blinking and coming out of his stupor.

"What was that…."

"Mom," Shin whispered and stepped back from Sakura's hold.

"What did you say," Sakura turned back around to face him.

"They could be in trouble," he said, panicky, rushing around Sakura and towards the explosion to where there was now a forming cloud of smoke forming in the air. But Sakura grabbed hold of his right wrist, stopping him from going any further.

"It's not safe and…"

"We have to go back, they could be in trouble," Shin tried pleading with her. His eyes were softening, tears glistening at the edges as he looked her straight in the eyes. "Please…I don't want to loose them…they're all I got," his voice cracked as he swallowed a lump from his throat.

Sakura sighed; this wasn't part of the plan. She was to take the boy and head straight to the border, leaving Kakashi and her comrades to hold the enemies off and wait for backup…it was a priority in their plan, but it was changing. First, when they were ambushed again, and when Sakura was ambushed on her way to the border. She wasn't expecting the steel-bodied men to be part of the group of Earth ninjas, and now that she thought about it, Kakashi and the others were probably having a run-in with the steel-bodies now. There was no way they could hold off the Earth ninjas and the indestructible men all together, not without knowing how to defeat the biggest threat since they took this mission. Only she knew how to defeat them, it was only right that she pass along the information and still check on her teammates, maybe even help, and while she's at it, she could retrieve Shin's parents, getting them out and still take the boy towards the border. It was a win-win situation; she just had to take it.

"Fine, but you stay close to me, no running off when we get there okay."

Shin nodded his head in agreement, before stating, "Okay."

Sakura grabbed on to his hands and they both took off in the direction towards the explosion.

The scene that they came to when they arrived was of two large slabs in between Kakashi with his team behind him as well as the couple who were huddled behind them, and on the other side of the thick blocks was Rye, on the ground and panting…terror written all over his face.

Kakashi had copied the Earth ninjas' technique in creating slabs from the ground and used them to either make barriers or as a weapon to defeat a group of enemy shinobi. In this case, he used it to squash Rye's men in an instant.

"You…you killed them…h-how did you…know how…" Rye was in too much of a shock to finish as he just stared at the two blocks before him.

His questions were let unanswered as Shin spotted his parents and rushed over towards them.

"Mom…dad," Shin jumped into the arms of his mother and father.

"Shin, oh god, I thought you were…," Ayame kissed him all over the face and checked if he was hurt in any way. She saw the cut on his forehead and started to cry. "Oh, sweetie, what happened to you?"

Shin just buried his head in the crook of his mother's neck and shoulder and silently thanks whoever for keeping them safe.

A hand placed on his shoulder had him untangling from his mother's hold and finding the hand to belong to his father.

"Shin, everything is okay," Kiyoshi smiled and was almost toppled over when Shin rushed over to give his father a big hug. "It's okay, we're fine," Kiyoshi continued as he felt his son shake in his arms.

"Sakura" Naruto yelled as he rushed over towards his friend and smiled.

"Naruto," Sakura greeted him and then looked over at her sensei who was looking at her almost disappointingly and relieved at the same time.

"I couldn't stay away," was Sakura answer as to why she didn't fulfilled her side of the plan.

His only acknowledgement was a nod as he looked back over at the block of rocks and behind it to see that Rye had disappeared. He covered his sharingan and sighed, already feeling the swirl of it lessening.

"We should…" but, before Kakashi could finish, Kiyoshi let out a shrieking cry as a kunai was embedded into his back. It was thrown from afar, somewhere among the trees behind them.

Shin felt his father weight lean more onto him which had him falling onto his knees, his father doing the same. Still in his arms, Shin looked up at his father to see pain all over his face. And it wasn't until his father had cough did he realize that it was serious as blood splattered onto his own face and a bit of it was running down from his father's lips.

"Shin," his father voice was hoarse as he looked down as his son, pleading for him to let him go, but Shin didn't, he only held on tighter.

Looking over his father's shoulders, Shin saw another kunai in the air sailing towards him and his father. But something about it was different…it was slowing. He could see it so clearly, seeing it getting closer and closer, almost frame by frame, like he was watching a movie, clip by clip. And in the back of his mind, he could feel his eyes throbbing, itching again, but duller than before…becoming a part of him, almost natural.

He let his eyes travel around him, seeing thing much clearer and with an enhance form about it. It was like he was reading the making of everything, every movement, every complex creation of all things living. And right now, the only movement his eyes wanted to focus on, analyze, was the kunai coming towards him. It was closer now and as it look like it was about to aim for his father's back again, more towards the back of his neck, Shin did the only thing that came to mind…he reached out for it. Really, he wanted to touch it to make sure that it was real, that what he was seeing was real, because he couldn't quite believe it himself. He watched as it eased into his hand, his grip automatically closing around the blade of it on first contact and stopping the kunai's movement all together. And as the action of the kunai had stopped, everything came back to normal; nothing was in slow motion anymore. All that was left was silence…a shock silence.

The pain didn't register, not to Shin, not until his mother let out a scream as she just watch her son catch a speeding weapon in midair. He let it drop from his hand and watch as it fell to the ground covered in his own blood, the only indication that he did, indeed, caught a moving kunai.

If anything, Kakashi and his team were in shock. Could this mean that the boy was who they were really sent to retrieve…was he the Uchiha?

Kakashi couldn't move, partly because his sharingan had left his body stiff with depleted chakra energy and every muscle in his body protested any type of movement he made. So it went, without saying that if it was up to him to save the father, and possibly the boy, from the thrown kunai, then he wouldn't have had the energy to move a leg to try and stop the projectile. But another part of him wanted to see what happened, for an instance, when the kunai was sailing in the air, Kakashi could have sworn his saw a brim of red lick into the boy's eyes, but he wasn't so certain…but the boy did catch the kunai, like he knew exactly where and when it would ended and caught it with the same ease as someone would take if catching a ball on a nice summer's day. Could this be their third and final clue?

Suddenly, there was movement from where the kunai was thrown, revealing two Earth ninjas scurrying away, maybe off to inform their leader of what they had discovered. Kakashi couldn't have that information licking out so he ordered Naruto and Sai to take care of it.

Sai and Naruto did as they were told and successfully demolish the Earth ninjas before they could get away.

Back with the family, Shin just realized what he had just did and fear seized him. He didn't want to believe that he did something so amazing that maybe… he really was who…what…his… he shook his head, blinking the thoughts away and looked up at everyone around him. His father had been fallen into unconsciousness and his body had fallen onto the ground in front of Shin who was too engrossed in his own thoughts to really keep his hold onto his father. His mother was shock, for lack of a better word, her crying had stopped and she just stared down at her son, although her tears still felled from her eyes, she was silently asking questions and answering them all in her head, leaving Shin to think that she was going to abandon him because he would if he was in her position. Then the looks from the ninjas as he watched Naruto and Sai returned with the group and watched him. They all eyed him strangely, both trying to avoid staring for too long but too overwhelmed to really stop the lingering looks. He knew that this was what they were waiting for, the reasons why they were always watching him from afar and at times suspecting that something like this would appear and then they would have all the answers. And Shin knew it, he knew that they wanted something like this to happen and he hated it. That's why, when he spoke, he yelled.

"Stop looking at me that way," he told them.

Everyone seemed to stiffen as to just realizing that they were, indeed, staring.

"Stop looking at me like I'm some kind of…," he couldn't find the words. "I didn't do anything, it was just an accident. Anyone could have caught that…anyone, so stop staring."

He moved away from the motionless kunai and turned his back to everyone. "I didn't do anything…I didn't…I," his voice cracked, because once again, a lump had formed in his throat and in the back of his mind, he didn't believe a word of what he was saying…not a single word of it, because the truth of the matter was that he did catch a speeding kunai and his hand was still throbbing and bleeding from the cut it brought him, so he couldn't push this in the back of his mind and deny it…not with the pain in his hand reminding him.

"I didn't do anything…I didn't do anything," he continued to whisper to himself, hoping that it would all just go away…everything.

Kakashi watched the scene and became angry. He knew why, but he didn't want to make a scene so instead, he announce that they all should leave and look for a place to treat Kiyoshi's wound and replenish, because for right now, his whole team was too exhausted to be traveling, let alone fight in another battle, if they were ambushed again.

And besides, he needed to think of what he needed to do with Shin anyway.

* * *

That night… 

Donsu and his men were sitting around a campfire listening to Rye as he detailed the event of how Kakashi defeated his men. He only had five left and that didn't sit well with him.

"…and then that ninja just made these huge blocks and squashed my men like they were bugs or something," Rye finished his story before sitting down on the stone-made seat the Earth ninjas had created. He sighed before looking at Donsu and frowned, "Where were you, I thought we were in this together?"

Donsu rolled his eyes, biting into his apple before standing up from his seat to answer Rye. "We are. I was busy at the moment." He gave Rye a skeptical look, "Wasn't it you who told me that your men were indestructible?"

Rye looked away; he would rather silently admit his faults than to actually say them.

Donsu bit into his apple again before his eyes caught onto the extra weight Rye brought with him, along with his men. "Who are those three," he mumbled around food in his mouth as he acknowledged the three brothers sitting with Rye's men.

Rye was confused at first but then he saw who the Earth leader was focusing on and rolled his eyes. "They were just my guide to finding the boy, they're useless to me now,' he admitted.

"Well, then, there's no use in keeping them here and having them slow us down." Donsu taunted. "Besides, my men need a little anger management release after your failure in handling the Copy ninja. Am I right men?"

Cheers sounded as the men agreed, already standing up and awaiting orders from their leader to do what they pleased.

"Wait," Fudo stood up, panicking, "We were just hired to show you where the boy was located, doesn't that count for anything." When no one answered, he continued, "We didn't agree to company you all over the continent for the boy. We had a deal and I want my money." His brothers were at his side, but they weren't fully in agreement with his method of handling the situation.

Rye seemed to have the same notion as he looked at Fudo and his brothers and laughed. "What deal is there if you are dead?"

And that was all Donsu needed to hear as he ordered his men to get rid of the freeloaders, watching them chase after the three until it was their screams that indicated to him that his order was accomplished.

He turned his attention back to Rye, frowning as he thought about their plan.

"Kakashi is becoming a problem, a thorn-in-my-side problem, and I need him gone. Now, I thought I could count on you to accomplish that deed, but that was my mistake in believing that you and your men could do such task." Donsu went back to his seat and sat down, biting into his apple as he thought some more. "I need someone stronger. I just hope…"

Suddenly, a voice spoke from the shadows as two figures appeared out of nowhere, "Maybe we could be of assistance."

Elsewhere…

Shin sat by his mother's side as they watched Sakura heal Kiyoshi.

Sakura wasn't fully recovered from today's event, so healing the man was taking a lot longer than what she was expecting, but the wound was closing, and that was a good thing.

Forcing chakra into the wound as much as her body could handle, Sakura reluctantly gave up as the feeling of drainage settled upon her. If she went any further then she couldn't fully function well afterwards, and she needed a break.

"That's all I can do for him for right now. We'll wait in the morning and I'll finish healing him then, okay. But for right now, we all need rest."

"But he will be okay, won't he," Ayame asked.

"Yeah," Sakura nodded, covering Mr. Unomi with a blanket, before leaning her back against a tree that sat right next to Kiyoshi. She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment before she opened them again to look at her sensei and teammates. One by one, they all gave her a discreet nod, telling her that it was time for the plan to go into action. She nodded her head too and looked at the remaining Unomis to make sure that they hadn't seen her.

"Ayame," she called out to the distraught woman. "You look tired. Why don't you sit next to me and your husband so you can rest?"

Ayame looked at her for a moment before nodded her head. She crawled next to Sakura and lied down with Sakura guiding her head onto her lap where Sakura slowly massage at the woman's temples to relax her.

"Just relax, Ayame," Sakura soothed as she forced a little of her chakra into the tips of her fingers, triggering the part of the brain that both relaxed and exhausted a person into a deep slumber. The only protest Ayame made as she fell asleep was a small whimper that died out as she yawned.

Sakura secretly glanced over at her teammates, letting them know that the first part of their plan was achieved, both Unomis were out cold and it was an okay to go ahead with the rest of the plan.

Shin was unaware of the secrecy around him; he was too absorbed in his own thoughts to really take notice.

Kakashi suddenly got up and walked behind the boy, his team watching his every move.

"Shin," Kakashi called to him.

The boy flinched at first; he didn't hear the ninja approach so it surprised him. He turned to look up at the white-haired ninja and frowned…with the ninja towering over him, it was sort of intimidating and scary, but Shin didn't let it show, so he let his frown deepen.

"Let's get some more firewood," Kakashi bluntly told him, his face devoured of any emotions besides boredom.

"Huh," was Shin's confused answered…he certainly wasn't expecting that. The guy hardly talked to him so when he asked him to help him find more firewood, it was shocking, so he turned him down, "No."

"I wasn't asking," Kakashi stated. His face now serious as a frown appeared and his muscles tensed. "Now, come on." And Kakashi turned and walked through a path that was formed by the trees.

Shin watched him leave, but he hadn't moved yet.

Did he really want to go with the ninja leader?

He could feel his heart quicken as the answer that formed in his head said yes but no at the same time.

Watching the white-haired ninja disappear into the darkness along the path, he turned his gazed over at the other ninjas and watched as they avoided his look.

He looked over at his parents, seeing that they were sleep and…

"It is okay, Shin, we're here, we'll protect them," Sakura told him and smiled to assure him.

His eyes lingered on her for a moment, before he finally got up and walked towards the path he saw the ninja took a few moments ago, hesitating, he looked back at the ninjas and his parents before turning back and taking the path.

Sai and Naruto got up from their perch on the ground, next to a sleeping Taro and walked over towards Sakura, careful as to not step on the sleeping forms around her.

"You think it's going to work, whatever it is," Naruto asked.

Sai and Sakura shrug their shoulders, they weren't sure. Kakashi really didn't go into much detail as to what he was going to do with the boy once they had the parents out of the way. All that he told them was that he just needed some time alone with the boy and that it would take time so they shouldn't stay up and wait for him to return.

"Whatever it is," Sakura finally answered, "I'm sure it's for the best."

They all agreed, believing that Kakashi wouldn't put the boy in danger, maybe just to talk to him about today's event and nothing more.

They trusted him; he was their sensei and friend after all.

Shin soon caught up with Kakashi a moment later. He picked up as much sticks and twigs along the way, hoping that when he thought that they had enough, they would turn back, but Kakashi kept walking and he kept following.

On occasions, he would look back, to see if he could see the light from the fire they had going, but the last time he looked behind him, he couldn't see any light at all, only darkness.

"I think we have enough. We should head back," he offered, but it was in vain as Kakashi kept walking and he kept following.

He'd notice that he was the only one carrying sticks, and it bothered him, but it also comfort him, having something in his hands in such dark surrounds. It made him feel secure and shielded, but he also relied on the ninja before him, that way, he wouldn't feel like he was out in the wilderness alone. But it was with the same person that he was becoming scared and he wanted to get as far away from the person as possible.

"Can we go back now," he asked.

Silence was his answer and he continued to follow.

Kakashi heard the boy's calls to go back but he ignored them, he chose to ignore them. He was angry and most of that anger was directed at the boy behind him, simply because the boy was a problem and he didn't like constant problems. Today, he was ambushed, forced to put a plan into play and it was not accomplished, and his teammates doubted him, although it was short or just a small uncertainty in his action, it was still there, which he had never had a problem in proving his actions to his team up until now. And it wasn't just today's event that got him angry, it was everything. This whole mission, the running, the hiding, the proving his worth, once again. It was the whole sharingan incident all over again.

And he wanted so hard not to let it get to him, but it did, and so, it was the entire boy's fault. Not to say that the boy was the blame for everything, he certainly couldn't help not remembering his past, and he couldn't have caught that kunai like he did today and certainly wasn't to blame for Kakashi current predicament. No it was Kakashi own fault for letting this happen, for actually getting angry at something so trivial, it put him to shame to just think about it. But what he could blame on the boy was that he put everyone around him at risk, a special kind of risk that got people hurt or killed…i.e. his team and Kiyoshi. If the boy wasn't ready to admit his true identity, well then, Kakashi was going to force him to admit it, because if he doesn't then he don't think he could go on with the mission…with protecting the boy…what was the point? He worked hard at getting to where he was (having a team and being happy for once) and he wasn't about to have it all thrown away because of some incompetent, denial, poor excuse of an Uchiha, if he could call him that, take that away from him, he just couldn't.

So he made his decision…the problem had to go. And he was sorry that it had to come to this, but his patience was running thin and he needed this…he truly needed this to work.

Kakashi finally stopped, his back still facing the boy who, which even surprised him, was still following him, and stuck his hand into his weapon holster, pulling out the last and only kunai knife he brought with him.

They had collected as many of the kunais they could carry when they left from their last attack and where Kiyoshi had got hurt, but it was just one kunai Kakashi needed with him for what he was about to do.

He found it strange that his hands were shaking, but he took it as adrenaline finally spreading throughout his body as he let his chakra channels flow a little faster through him.

Finding the perfect grip on the handle of the kunai, he closed his eyes and prepared himself.

He faintly heard the boy asking him why they stop, but he had chosen to ignore it and cleared his mind.

_Sorry, Obito_

And as Kakashi turned around, he threw the kunai; sending it directly to the boy and watching it hit its target and implanted itself into a tree…blood dripping off it's blade and fallen soundlessly on the ground.

Sticks were dropped and a young boy's body fell limply onto the ground, motionless and silent.

* * *

**AN**: How was it? I know, you hate the ending (cliffhanger) but I had to keep it interesting and cliffhangers help with that. 

I hope I haven't lost my readers and reviewers, but to let me know that I still have my fans, please review. I'm open to any types of reviews (just to say hi, welcome back, or the plain old reviews of what you thought of the chapter).

Please and Thank you,

Dustori


	14. Looking Through Deception: Part 2

**AN**: I bring you **TWO FULL CHAPTERS** in one...30 pages in total.

Also, I would like to thank everyone for reviewing and I'm sorry for having you wait so long...shame, Lisa, shame. If I didn't reply back to you, sorry, but thanks for the reviews anyway, I realy appreciate them.

Anyway, I'll keep this short...there might be some grammar/spelling error, I didn't go over it to check. Plus, there might be some OOC-ness on Kakashi's part.

**Enjoy**

* * *

Looking Through Deception: Part 2

PART 1

_Kakashi finally stopped, his back still facing the boy who, which even surprised him, was still following him and stuck his hand into his weapon holster, pulling out the last and only kunai knife he brought with him._

_They had collected as many of the kunais they could carry when they left from their last attack and where Kiyoshi had got hurt, but it was just one kunai Kakashi needed with him for what he was about to do._

_He found it strange that his hands were shaking, but he took it as adrenaline finally spreading throughout his body as he let his chakra channels flow a little faster through him._

_Finding the perfect grip on the handle of the kunai, he closed his eyes and prepared himself._

_He faintly heard the boy asking him why they stop, but he had chosen to ignore it and cleared his mind._

_Sorry, Obito_

_And as Kakashi turned around, he threw the kunai; sending it directly to the boy and watching it hit its target and implanted itself into a tree…blood dripping off it's blade and fallen soundlessly on the ground._

_Sticks were dropped and a young boy's body fell limply onto the ground, motionless and silent._

Shin watched the scene before him, watching as he gazed at his own body…a replica of himself…falling backward and lifeless onto the ground…dead.

He watched as the ninja, Kakashi, walked over his motionless body and yanked the kunai out of the tree and wiped the weapon clean before placing it back into his holster.

Shin watched as the man turned around and faced him, actually looked at him…the real him…and smiled behind his mask because he knew what he had done, he had just killed him and he didn't care.

He wanted him dead, at least that what the voices were implying.

Shin heard them, voices of anger and regret…blame…and he just stood there and watched the scene play as he watched his own death by the ninja who was, supposedly, protecting him.

Those voices blamed him for everything and Shin couldn't stand listening to them.

And so, he wanted it to stop, so he shut his eyes, hoping that when he opened them, it would all go away.

But it didn't.

He opened his eyes, not a moment later, only to find the scene still before him and not just that, but the ninja was walking towards him, the evil smile still showing.

Shin backed away, backing up into a tree which stopped his backward movements completely.

The ninja was upon him in a matter of seconds…standing tall and intimidating over him…placing both arms on either side of Shin's shorter frame, blocking any attempt to escape.

The ninja leaned forwards, face disappearing from Shin's sight as the man leaned towards his ear and whispered…

_Sasuke_

Shin's body trembled and his heart pounded erratically in his chest.

By the time the ninja leaned back and in front of him, he was already someone else…someone much worst.

The man before him now was covered in shadow, only his red eyes appeared through the darkness, his voice rich and deep as he spoke.  
_Worthless, little brother_

And Shin recognized that voice, so malicious and cold.

He can't get it out of his head.

_So pathetic_

"Don't kill me, please," Shin whispered, but his lips didn't move, at least he didn't feel them move.

_Die_

_Die_…the voice repeated.

_Die_

"**NO**," Shin yelled, startling the people around him as they sat by the camp fire.

Ayame was the first person to reach his side, watching as her son hunched over at the waist, his head almost touching the ground as he held his head in a panic manner.

And she _kept _watching as he rocked back and forth, mumbling what she could only hear as pleas.

"Please. **GO AWAY**."

"Shin, it me…your mother," Ayame tried soothing. "Look at me."

Shin paused his back and forth motions…he stayed still and silent…surprise to have heard his mother's voice.

He, slowly, removed his hands from his head, sitting upright and stared at the persons around him.

From what he could see, the young female ninja was healing his father, the two young males along with the older men were near the fire, while his mother was at his side running a hand over his back to calm him…they were all staring at him though, worried…confused.

"What happened sweetie," his mother's voice brought his attention to her and she looked concern. "Are you feeling alright?"

It was one of his daydreams, one that comes to him during waking hours for when he would miss one of his nightmares from sleepless nights. He recognized it because now, now that he thinks about it, it made him see things…sometimes horrible things, like this one.

But this one was different, completely different. Never in the four years since he had these hellish daydreams have they once showed him of a death such as this one. Mainly, he just heard voices and then maybe there might be an illusion to some blood dripping somewhere or sounds of people screaming, but never…never have they ever been complete visions of…of something like this, and of someone else's thoughts.

He glanced over at the silver-haired ninja and then quickly looked away.

_Did the ninja really blame him_, he wondered.

He quickly shook his head, denying anything and everything dealing with the daydream, but…

The voices he was use to, it was just the visions that did the most damage. They always frighten him and this one was no exception.

It left him feeling sick and paranoid. And usually he could just deny them, act like nothing had happened, but he couldn't with this one. He was left with physical reminders of the daydream…still see the scene of him being impaled by the kunai and feel its bloodcurdling blade drive its way through his chest and out his back…this…this was going to take some time to ignore, maybe all night.

"Shin, are you alright," his mother asked him, catching his attention once again.

He looked at her for a moment before answering, "Yeah," he paused, "Just…a little tired that's all."

Ayame was stunned for a moment; it made her pull away from him as she figured that her son was lying to her. Of course, he had lied to her in the past, but never from something that she have seen with her own eyes and then have him claim that it was just due to tiredness.

That wasn't just tiredness making him scream like that…it wasn't just tiredness that made him look so frighten like that, and it wasn't just something that a person do when they were tired…something was wrong.

She could feel it so deeply within her soul and it scared her, but she didn't question her son on it. She just nodded her head in false understanding, leaning his head onto her shoulder for a small embrace…letting him miss the expression that tormented her face constantly…

…worry.

The ninjas must have seen the expression because they all took quick glances at each other, questioning what really happened and contemplated on how to solve it.

---

Itachi let the redness seep back within his eyes, letting his eyes fade back to black. He was satisfied with the genjutsu in which he just put upon the boy, it was meant to toy with the boy's already fragile mind, and one look at the sight before him told him that it did just that.

"So," a voice spoke behind him, "What did you make him see," Kisame asked.

Itachi didn't answer him right away. "The future," was the answer he gave him when he did finally speak.

Kisame chuckled, "And what that might be," he asked.

"His death," was the quick reply before Itachi leaped up into the trees and away into darkness. Kisame was not too far behind him laughing away at the cold straight-forward answer.

---

That night, Shin tossed and turned, not because of a nightmare but because he couldn't…didn't want to…go to sleep. Like every night, sleep was a futile effort, so with a final turn he laid on his side, opening his eyes and keeping them open for good.

His sights were set on nothing in particular…nothing but trees and darkness, anything to keep him occupied and awake, but it only bored him, making his eyelids heavy…making him tired. So he turned on his back and peered up at the stars instead.

He could always count on the stars to hold his interest. When he looks at them he noticed that neither one were alike, there was always something different about each one. Sure, they twinkled, sure they shined, but there were some whose lights were duller than the others, there were some who sparkled more than the others…some three times, some four, some even two times…interesting.

He finds it funny when he hear children his own age wish upon them…it was stupid and childish, but then again adults did it too and he would just laugh from the foolishness of it.

So it only seem even more ridiculous when he started wishing upon one…the one that was solitary, different among the rest…the red one.

Since he could remember…at least what he can remember…he was always favoring that one, giving it all of his attention and then some, never has he ever wished on it, but then he was always thinking with a mature mind, finding it absurd for him to do such a thing and at his age.

But when he did make a wish, he didn't say it out loud, that's what made most things seem…wrong about wishing. It was suppose to be silent, a secret, between you and the vast star up above. No one was suppose to hear it, so when it came true, you couldn't blame it on your parents who might have heard you one night when you made the wish…you can believe that it came true because of the confidence that the star granted it. It seem so real that way…not so… ridiculous.

Closing his eyes, squeezing them tight, he made his first wish and when that one was done he made another one because he believes that one could make more than one.

And when he opened his eyes, he saw it sparkle, not once but twice…taking both his wishes.

"Hey," a soft voice called out to him from beside him, making him jump up into a sitting position.

"What are you doing up?" It was the female ninja…_Sakura_, he thinks.

Sakura had second shift of night watch, before her it was Sai. Sai had told her, before they switch, that the boy had been restless all night, he guessed it was because of the stress with what's been going on around him.

Sakura agreed. She just wondered if it has anything to do with his nightmares as well.

Sakura got up from her perch on the ground and walked over to Shin and sat in front of him.

"You can't sleep," she asked once she got situated on the ground and smiled at him.

He didn't say anything; he just glanced at the ground, feeling kind of awkward.

"You want me to heal those," she asked as she noticed that he still had the cut on his hand and a forming bruise over the cut on the side of his forehead.

Shin flinched, he had forgotten about those and as he now noticed them, they began to throb.

"It won't hurt," she smiled, "I promise."

Shin hesitantly lifted his hand and looked down at it. He had wrapped it earlier, finding it difficult to look at. The cloth he used was already soaked with his blood and he winced at the sight of it.

Looking at Sakura, he noticed that she was looking at his hand as well.

"It looks bad," her attention went back to him, "You sure you don't want me to heal it. It will stop bleeding."

She held out her hand and waited for him to hand over his own.

He was again hesitant, but he finally gave her his hand.

Removing the rag, she inspected the wound.

"It's not that deep, but I think the beginnings of infection might have settled in it."

She covered the wound before she got up and went to fetch her bag.

Shin just watched her go, feeling almost relieved but almost anxious.

When she came back, she rubbed some salve on it, making sure that the medicine was fully rubbed in before she fully healed him with the glow of her hand. She smiled when she saw the astound look on the boy's face.

"I'm healing the wound with my chakra," she explained, "I did the same with your father. What I'm doing is closing the wound from the inside out, clearing any kind of foreign ailment that might have affected the wound."

Shin just nodded his head, the only acknowledgement that he was listening, most of his attention was focused on how his injured hand was healing.

When the wound was closed, Sakura reached out to heal the one on the side of his forehead. But she made the mistake of moving too quickly because Shin quickly backed away from the sudden movement.

"Sorry," Sakura stated, realizing her mistake. "I was reaching for your forehead." She went slow as she explained herself, slowly guiding her hand near his head to try and not startle the boy.

When her hand made contact, she paused a little, glancing at the boy…looking into his eyes.

She noticed that he was staring back, cautiously watching her every move, questioning her trustworthiness as she stared back.

"You know," she began, "You can trust us."

She watched as his eyes narrowed and he tried pulling away.

With her free hand, she grabbed at his once injured hand to keep him in place

"I'm just saying…" she paused, realizing that he was pulling more forcefully.

She poured chakra in her hand over his head injury to calm him, watching as he paused, and his body relaxed.

"I'm just saying…," she continued, "…that you don't have to think that everyone that comes around you is going to hurt you."

She started healing the wound on his head as he just stared at her once again, but this time, his eyes showed confusion and fear.

"There's actually good in the world…people who aren't mean or untrusting. Some are right in front of you but you shun away those people because you think their only reason on earth is to hurt you…or your family."

The wound was healed but she didn't remove her hand nor did he try to remove it.

"Shin, we're here to help you. We want to keep you safe; you don't have to push us away."

"You think it's that simple," he whispered, she barely heard him.

"I woke up one day and found out that I can't remember anything of my past. I tried everything to get those memories back but they just seem to don't want to come to me."

His eyes peered into hers full of intensity, such emptiness in them; yet, Sakura saw all the emotions fly across them.

"I was grateful…," he quickly glanced at the couple lying next to him, and just as quickly brought his attention back to Sakura as she followed his quick glances. "…I was grateful that they had found me and not some perverted old man who would have sold me to some jerk or someone even worst."

"You can't think that way…," Sakura began, but found that she couldn't finish when the boy began to yell.

"Yes I can. You don't know what it's like…"

"So tell me…make me understand," she found herself almost yelling, "Just trust me, Shin…all of us."

He slapped her hand away and backed away, leaning against a tree and crossing his arms.

Sakura just scooted closer; glancing behind her to make sure that their yelling hadn't woke anyone.

"I'm asking you to see me as a friend, not the enemy," Sakura continued.

Shin snapped his head to the side, showing his resistance and the invisible wall she knew he was trying to put up.

In an instant, she was jumping forward on her knees and reaching for him. Shin didn't see it coming because by the time he actually saw her, she had already had a tight grip on both his cheeks, forcing his attention back on her.

"Don't shun me away," she demanded with her voice but her eyes showed everything from concern to determination. "Make me understand," she ended, not releasing him.

Again, Shin stared intently into her eyes, trying everything in him to defy her plea, but…couldn't…tired of keeping it balled up inside. He needed someone to…

"It helps to talk to someone about your problems, even if you don't understand them yourself," Sakura acknowledged and she watched and felt him deflate.

He had his eyes shut and when he opened them, Sakura saw the beginning of unshed tears.

"Earlier, I said that I can't remember anything about my past," he paused, "But…but I think they're trying to come back to me. I don't understand them, but they come to me in horrible dreams over and over. Sometimes, when I'm awake, I see flashes of people who seem familiar to me, but I don't know who they are. Sometimes, I daydream and I see and hear things that aren't really there…and it's confusing at times."

"I've noticed that you don't sleep well since we met," she stated. "Is it because of the nightmares?"

She felt him nod his head, his eyes leaving hers to look towards his hands that he now had in his lap.

"Tell me about them," she asked.

His eyes were back at hers, searching.

"Trust me."

Silence, and then…

"There's this boy…" he began. "He's alone…scared…confused. He hears things and then there's people screaming…they're coming from everywhere, surrounding him," he paused again, shutting his eyes and taking deep breathes. "He's running…blood's everywhere, but all he can think about is getting away, but…"

"But what, Shin," Sakura asked him.

He shakes head, telling her that he don't want to say.

"Okay, you can skip that part if you want."

It took a full two minutes for him to start again, and within those minutes, Sakura could feel the boy trembling.

"There's this time, where he's in this house and it's empty, but he doesn't know that…so he goes in looking for someone whose not there…in the end, it's the same thing over and over again."

Before exhaustion hit him, he told her everything, but not everything. He didn't tell her about the couple in the house that were killed and he didn't tell her that the person who had killed them was somewhat apart of the boy…maybe related, he wasn't sure…and he didn't tell her any of the peoples' name. It wasn't that he didn't trust her with that information, it's just that he couldn't remember it all or when he got around to actually telling her, it got too difficult for him to talk about it, so he just left it alone…pushed it away.

On the other nightmares that he had, the one where he was always hearing voices, he left off what was said, and skipped out on the blood and gore that was always a constant in his nightmares. He also left out the part about the figure with red eyes, which, in itself, was way too scary for him to even describe.

By the time he was finished, he was tired, and he means actually ready-to-shut-his-eyes-and-go-to-sleep tired.

Sakura, seeing this, put a little chakra in her hands and help trigger the part in the brain to help put him to sleep.

He was out like a light, slumping in her hold and softly snoring.

She helped him lie down and covered him with a blanket.

Standing up, she stretched and signaled for her teammates to get up.

They all got up from their pretend sleep, except for the couple who, earlier that night, she put a sleeping jutsu on them to keep what was happening away from them.

Silence settled over them as they ran over the story, that the boy had just told, in their heads.

Sakura sat down next to her young comrades and softly gave each one a encouraging smile, because the both of them, well, more towards Naruto, it looked like the story had hit them hard.

"He wasn't telling the whole story," Sai finally filled the silence.

"Yeah, but you could fill-in the blanks," Kakashi stated, running a hand through his silvery hair.

"Does that mean he's the Uchiha, I mean the actual missing Uchiha," Taro sounded excited.

"Could be," Kakashi answered, "I mean, he did describe a lot of the scene that were discussed in the massacre profile. And he does fit two of our previous knowledge of what we were looking for. So yeah, I guess he is."

"It's so sad, though," Naruto had finally spoken. "And I kind of feel sorry for what we did. He thinks he just told you in secrecy," he looked towards Sakura.

"I know… I feel the same way."

Silence took over once again.

Kakashi sighed, feeling the burden of the situation.

"I know what we did was wrong and I won't ask you to do it again, but we had to confirm our suspicions. I, for once, is relieved that he is who we think he is…I'm not proud of how we did it, but I'm glad we can say for sure now that we found him and not someone else."

"Me too," Naruto agreed, cheering up with that notion.

"So am I," Sai stated ,flatly, afterwards.

"Yeah, me too," Sakura was next followed by Taro.

"So," Kakashi began, "Now that we know that he is the Uchiha, we definitely have to get him to Konoha, pronto."

"Right," they all said in unison.

For the rest of the night they planned on how they were getting to Konoha and not face any distraction along the way. And if that situation should occur, which it most likely probably will, they figured out a plan to try to avoid them the best way they could.

It would be a long night, but by the time they were sure that their plan was complete, it was already becoming morning and they needed a early start if they wanted their plan to work.

---

They were in the trees again and it appeared to be no signs of any Earth ninjas or steel-bodies anywhere. They assumed it was because they were up early this time and had the advantage of keeping an unsightly trail behind them…not that with the other two encounters they left a trail behind, but with this one, it was a quick get-a-way. It's been four hours and there has been no attack…yet.

It was only natural that they keep their guards up and it was only natural that they suspect foul play, because, really, this was becoming too good to be true.

"Everyone, keep your eyes open," Kakashi ordered. He didn't like this, but like with everything with this mission, he didn't like their situation.

"Got it," his team confirmed.

"You okay back there, Shin," Naruto asked the boy who was just waking up.

He felt the boy nod just before his grip around his neck tightened.

"Don't worry, I won't drop you."

Another nod was all he got, before he sped off to catch up with the rest of the group. He had slowed down just so Shin could get his bearings and know that he was on someone's back.

"How's the father doing," Sai asked Sakura over his shoulder as he carried the still unconscious man.

"He looks fine to me, but I guess his body's still recuperating."

Sakura looked back at Taro who carried the wife. She seems okay and it looked like they were having a nice conversation…Taro seeming to blush at one particular question the woman had asked him.

"No ma'am, I'm not married yet," she heard him saying.

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind seem to pass among the group, making them unbalance as the suddenness of the wind seem to pick up.

They all landed on the ground, forming a circle around the family as they got there weapons ready.

"I knew it was too easy," Sai mumbled to himself.

The wind blew around them, circling them and pushed at their stationary bodies. It only picked up more powerful burst of wind when it didn't knock the ninjas over, trying with speed to knock the weapons from their hands.

It was moments later that the wind breezed away, effortlessly leaving behind a trail of leaves spiraling after it.

Kakashi and his team were left alarmed and waiting, but as it seem as though nothing would happen, Naruto was picked up by an invisible force and thrown into a nearby tree.

"Naruto," Sakura yelled, getting ready to run towards her fallen teammate, when Kakashi voice stopped her.

"No, Sakura, it could be a trap."

Sakura nodded at her sensei and peered over at the blonde ninja.

"I'm alright, Sakura," he told her, getting up and rolling his shoulders, inspecting his limbs for any damages. "Did you see what it was that attacked me?"

His teammates shook their heads, telling him that they had seen nothing.

Moments later, it was Sai who was picked up and thrown somewhere far from the circle as he too was picked up by an invisible force.

Later, it was Sakura then Taro until it was only Kakashi guarding the family.

"Can you get back over here," Kakashi questioned, gripping his weapon closer to his body as he prepared for another attack.

"We can't," he heard Naruto straining voice.

Kakashi quickly glanced at his team and he watched them torturously fight with their own bodies. Their hands that were gripping their weapons were slowly going towards their necks, holding themselves hostages.

"What's…going…on," Sakura grunted as she tried with all her might to stop her body from moving. "I don't…have…control."

Kakashi hurriedly lifted the cover over his left eye to reveal his Sharingan.

He gasped at what he saw…blue chakra figures were surrounding his team, webbing their way around and into his teams' bodies, taking control. It was with quick reflexes that he happened to look down at his own body and saw the beginning strands of blue chakra surrounding his right arm.

He was then lifted off the ground and thrown, spinning in the air as his body made contact with a tree.

Grunting, he felt his body struggle against the invisible hold on him. It made him stand on his feet and bring his kunai to his neck.

Using his Sharingan, he tried pinpointing where the figures were link to, but as he searched, there was no thread or some sort of link that connected the blue figures to a person.

It then hits him…_the wind_, he concluded.

The wind was the link to the figures. It must have been created with chakra, the owner somewhere in hiding controlling it while his targets got distracted by the wind. While his team and the family were too busy trying to shield themselves, the chakra that was embedded into the wind was slowly fusing onto their bodies. It was a perfect plan, one Kakashi didn't see coming.

Out of hiding two figures jumped from the trees, their backs to the hostage ninjas as they faced the family.

"**Shin run**," Naruto yelled, he was then silenced by his own lips shutting close.

"Not so quick are you, ninja," Heru voiced taunted as he turned to face Kakashi.

Being the only thing he could do, Kakashi glared at the man.

Heru scoffed and turned his back towards the white-haired ninja. He glanced at the family, seeing how they huddled around the unconscious man in the group.

His attention went off the man and to the boy as he moved towards him.

Ayame, seeing this, hurriedly embraced her son, shielding him with her body.

"Don't you come near him," she yelled, startling when she was suddenly grabbed by the arms and was lifted away from her son and husband as Tioshi pressed her body forcefully against his own.

"I like her spunk," he whispered into the struggling woman's ear, sniffing her hair as he did so. "And she smells good too."

Heru just smirked at his friend before he continued his path towards Shin.

Shin stood and started to back away.

"**Run sweetie**," Ayame yelled, still struggling under Tioshi's hold.

One quick glance towards his mother and Shin did exactly that.

He ran, he ran as fast as his shaking legs could take him. It was just that he wasn't expecting Taro to stand in his way when he started his getaway.

Shin slowed to a halt, seeming relieved that someone was there to…

A punch was delivered right to his left cheek, sending him falling backwards and onto the ground.

"God, that felt good…you don't know how long I wanted to do that since I met the crying bastard," Taro stated to both Heru and Tioshi as he shook his right hand free of the throbbing pain. He looked down at the fallen boy who was now cradling his left jaw and wiping the blood from his now busted bottom lip, an expression of hurt illustrated his face as he peered up at the ninja before him.

"What, did I hurt your feelings," Taro taunted as he picked the boy up off the ground roughly by the arms and wrapped his own arm around the boy's neck to keep him from escaping.

He walked over towards the two enemy ninjas who were grinning at him.

"I see Donsu got my message. And with great timing, they were almost reaching Konoha where Kakashi would have sent out a summoning to notify the Hokage of their arrival," he told them of the made plan that Team 7 and their sensei, along with him, derived of last night. His message to Donsu was of the same information as well.

"So it was you," Kakashi stated as he watch the scene before him, it was the only thing he could do. "I guess I will be assuming that you had something to do with the Earth ninjas' knowledge of our plan the last couple of times."

Taro push Shin into the arms of Heru as he walked over towards the immobile Leaf ninja.

"I'm surprise you're just figuring it out, but I guess all good ninjas have their faults."

As Taro was saying this he was slowly transforming into his real form, an Earth ninja form.

"You Leaf ninjas are so easy. Your last ninja, the real informant, he was sent to assassinate me. I followed him after he took a detour to follow the boy. It was afterwards that I tortured him for information and then killed him. I disguised myself as the informant to later go after the boy, but it was later that I find out that the Leaf ninja had already sent the message he had gathered to your Hokage. I quickly took up a plan of my own, informing my own Kage of the situation and that high-qualified Leaf ninjas would become a problem. So when you showed up, I played along like a good Leaf shinobi and gave you the information that I got from the informant. I followed you afterwards to where the Unomis invited you into their home and where later you sent out a message to your Hokage about the situation. I quickly destroyed that little problem though," he laughed as he continued.

"You see, your message never made it to Konoha, therefore, your Hokage doesn't know anything about your dilemma. I lied earlier about the whole thing with Konoha being under close guard because of fear that hidden enemy ninjas were planning to attack the village during their little Uchiha matter. Therefore, you've been screwed since you took this mission," Taro smirked.

"How'd you like that," he asked mockingly.

To say that Kakashi wasn't sizzling mad would have been an understatement; he was, no doubt, without a doubt blazing to a fury mad at how everything had turned out. He was never in control of the situation. The Earth ninjas had it all planned out from the beginning and they were just playing with them until they would crack or die trying to accomplish an already fruitless mission. He didn't see it coming so he blames his self for all that has happened.

Taro smirked as he watched the speechless ninja leader. He turned back to the two other ninjas helping him and frowned.

"By the way, you didn't have to throw me so hard against the tree," he reprimanded.

"We had to make it look believable," Tioshi answered, "Besides, it worked didn't it. They didn't suspect a thing, not until it hit them right in the face."

Taro nodded, "Yeah." He sighed and looked at the boy in Heru's arms. "I hope you know you're worth more than just the eyes. With the trouble you caused in the pass few days, I'm surprise I hadn't killed you yet."

"We should go, Donsu's waiting," Tioshi offered as he waved his hand in the air as a signal for the next step in their plan to begin.

Nothing happened at first but then there was a hollow whistle sound that took to the air and the next thing that Kakashi notice was that Naruto and Sakura were hitting the ground hard, released from their invisible hold but knocked unconscious by something else.

Another hollow whistle sound took the air and Sai and Ayame were taken out.

He saw Heru throw Shin on the ground where he crawled to his mother's side, and then seconds later he was knocked unconscious by whatever it was that was taking his team out.

Kakashi later figured it out once he felt a sharp prick in his neck. He felt his body being release and with the release he reached for the side of his neck to pull out…

It was a dart; a small dart with a needle at the end and a small sphere shape ball at the other end…it probably carried whatever is was that was knocking them out so quickly.

Kakashi could feel himself getting drained, tired. He let his body drop on his hands and knees and fought with his body and mind to stay alert. But as the content of the dart worked fast and heavily on him, he found himself fallen over, hitting the ground and seeing darkness.

---

"So what you are telling me is that he hasn't come into his full Uchiha powers yet," Donsu questioned Taro.

"Yes," Taro's shameful answered.

"Why didn't you mention this before?"

"With all do respect, sir, I thought that it wouldn't really matter. I figured that if the Fire Country was after him so badly than he must be valuable."

Donsu nodded his head, agreeing and accepting the explanation.

They were having their little meeting at an open field, not far from Earth ninjas' camp. When Taro and the other two participants arrived at the camp, there was already two made small barrack prepared to hold their prisoners in. They split the group the way they wanted and that's when Donsu ordered to speak with Taro alone. He had heard interesting things from his other guests…Rye and the two men from a hopeless village…he just wanted to verify with the one that was up close and personal with the actual situation and from someone who was one of his own to find out if the tales were true.

So here they were…talking.

"And you say that he caught a kunai knife with ease," he asked his fellow ninja.

"Yes, sir. I saw this with my own eyes," Taro answered. "But other than that, the boy hasn't shown any other events to prove if his eyes has awakened."

Donsu nodded, "Right, but you did say that the Fire ninjas had their own list of criteria to confirm their suspicion about the boy?"

"Yes," Taro answered.

"And…"

"And they have all been met, so they are sure he is who they claim he is."

"Good," Donsu said with a satisfying amusement. "And we will go on those list of criteria as well."

Taro nodded his head, proud of himself and his accomplishment.

"You have done Earth country proud," Donsu stated, acknowledging the young ninja before him.

He then goes and ponders on something that has been on his mind for quite a while now. If anything, he wanted the constant wondering to end now and he thinks he has come up with something that would do just that.

He smiled wickedly as a thought formed in his head, "Now, to take care of our other problems."

---

When Shin woke, it was already dark, at least that's what he saw from the small window built in slightly at the top of the stone door.

It was then that he noticed his surroundings. Four stone walls of about seven to eight feet in height surrounded him, enclosing him in nothing but the size of an extremely small room, leaving him with enough room to walk about twelve steps from wall to wall and that's it.

But as he scanned his surroundings, it was then that he noticed that he wasn't the only one in the stone prison.

In one of the corners sat the silver-haired ninja. His wrists and ankles were in cuffs linked with a short chain that linked them together, leaving the ninja's legs bent and arms outstretched to accommodate the short length that the chain provided. Inscribed on the cuffs were some writings, and from what Shin could tell, they meant 'sealing.'

For a moment, Shin wondered why it was just him and the ninja alone in the room and not him and his parents. He thought it would have been the logical thing to do, separating the protectors from the protective.

And for a moment as he scanned over the cuffs and chain, he took one look up at the ninja and their eyes met.

Shin felt a sense of embarrassment build inside of him, causing him to quickly look away.

He was uncomfortable, not just from the hard floor he was sitting on, but from the mere thought that he was alone with a ninja, _this _ninja who has shown so much strength and wisdom throughout the entire time that they've met.

Never has he been with the ninja with just his self present, he always had his mother and father there with him, but now, he just felt intimidated. Even in a situation like this, he would rather be in a room of his own then in a room spent with the ninja across from him.

It would certainly make the uneasiness go away.

"Are you hurt," he heard the man ask him and it startled him into looking his way again rather than avoid him.

Apprehensively, he shook his head no and then he looked down at his knees, which were cradle up against his chest held together by his arms that embraced them. He doesn't remember positioning his body in such a manner, he must have done it unconsciously.

Moments later, he heard the man sigh heavily. It was there that he found himself looking at the man again as he was in the motion of leaning his head back into the corner.

It stayed silent after that and neither one made any means of starting a conversation nor making the situation bearable.

But all night, Shin never took his eyes off the ninja…and Kakashi, he was too busy trying to form a pliable plan in his head. But he did notice the boy's endless stares and he was okay with that.

He felt calmed by it.

Eventually, Shin fell asleep and Kakashi finally lift his head from off the corner and peered at the boy.

Before they were put into the prison building, the darts were removed and Kakashi woke instantly. Although he did find himself coming in and out of consciousness from time to time, he did remember hearing two Earth ninjas communicating. He remembered that his body still felt numb and heavy from whatever was in those darts so he couldn't move his body nor could he open his eyes. As they shackled him and dragged him in what he heard was the 'room built for their captives,' he caught on to some of their continued discussion and heard a clip of something about harming the boy. At the moment the words didn't make it all the way clear into his mind, but as the affects of the drug in the darts left him, he started remembering clear clips of words and phrases spoken during his hazy time.

During the night, before and after the boy had woken up and until the boy had fallen asleep afterwards, he's been thinking about what those ninjas meant by 'harming' the boy.

He wished that he could remember more, he wished that he could free himself of these shackles, and stop whatever was about to happen. But as he thought more and more on the matter, he became angrier by the mere thought that there was nothing he could do right now…not yet, at least, not until he figured out how to get out of this mess.

But he did know for sure that he would get free and get him, the boy, the couple, and his team safe and out of danger.

He knew this for sure because wherever there's a lock there's always a way to opening it, and he was sure to find it.

So with one more look at the boy and with new determination, he leaned his head back up against the corner, covertly pulling at the chain connecting his wrists and ankles together, slowly wearing down the stone's edges by slightly moving his legs and arms back and forth, alternatively.

He's been doing this all night, he thinks that in two days, he should be chain free.

It was just in that matter of time, would the boy be alright by then?

…he could only hope.

Looking Through Deception: Part 2

PART 2

Shin found himself staring into the tip of a kunai knife pointing directly at his right eye.

He was being held by two men, which one, held his arms behind his back and the other, kept his head still long enough for the duration of the event.

Shin quickly shut his eyes out of fear, pulling against the men's clutches to free himself, but a firm order to stay still ceased all his powerless movements.

Another order came for him to open his eyes, he hesitated, but a repeated order and then a slap across the face had him obeying it immediately.

He watched as the knife was reared back, slowly as so he could watch the tip become clearer before both his eyes prior to it coming to a complete stop.

For seconds, maybe minutes, he guarded the knife with cautious eyes, waiting for it to move that one moment that cause his heart to hammer hysterically within his chest and for his breathing to shorten to the point of hyperventilating.

But they always had him wait for that moment, and it seems that the time got stretched out every minute.

The more he had to wait the more fearful he got that this time…this time, the knife would actually…

Suddenly, the kunai was moving with speed as it traveled towards him and aiming directly for the center of his targeted eye.

It didn't look to be slowing as it got closer, making his heart rate accelerate and causing his chest to rapidly rise and fall to the point that he couldn't take a single breath to fill his lungs.

But before the kunai could make contact it stopped, leaving only a tiny one-eighth of an inch between the tip and his right eye.

Soon, the kunai knife was removed from his vision altogether and a Earth ninja appeared within his eye level. The man examined both eyes thoroughly, looking for any changes, but was only left disappointed once again when there was no sign of coloring in Shin's eyes.

"Nothing," the Earth ninja stated, who Shin dubbed the 'eye doctor' as he was always the one looking at his eyes at the end of every experimental or terrifying event.

The Earth ninjas and others that surrounded them to watch the incident all groaned in disappointment.

Shin soon found himself being release as the two men, who held him immobile earlier, dropped him and walked away mad that the test didn't work.

At that point, Shin just laid on the ground from both exhaustion and relief.

All he could think about was that it could have been worst…which there has been some worst ones since the start of these so-called tests.

It's been two days…two days since he's been going through these tests that the ninjas been putting him through, but it was always this test that was done repeatedly.

"Take him back to his prison," the eye doctor ordered some bystanders.

Shin felt himself being lifted off the ground and dragged back to the prison he shared with the ninja, feeling pleased to actually wanting to go back to the uncomfortable imprisonment.

They pushed him inside the cold building, where Shin stumbled and fell to the ground and then the door was shut and locked behind him.

Slowly, he picked himself up and walked over towards the silver-haired shinobi and sat beside him.

Kakashi watched him the whole time until he felt the boy place his head on his shoulder and began to silently cry.

In the past two days the boy has come to trust Kakashi. This occurred only because he only _had _Kakashi to lean to. He didn't know where his parents were, he was being tormented to…what did they say earlier…to open his eyes, and after every attempt…with disappointing results…he was thrown back into his prison, left with the pain and emotional scars of each event.

At first, he just curled himself into a trembling ball in the corner and cried himself to sleep. It was after other, injurious, incidents that he'd come to realize that he wasn't alone in the room and that he really wanted someone to hold him during his moments of weakness, and it was the ninja who was the only person, at the moment, to provide him with that comfort.

Even though he was never held by the ninja…because of the ninja's situation…it was just the thought and the presence of being near someone other than his self that was satisfying enough. So he always found himself leaning his head on the man's shoulders, crying…not alone, but near someone he could trust through all of this.

He felt somewhat safe.

Kakashi provided no comforting words nor did he asked the boy what happened, he could tell by some of the boy's bruises as to what occurred but he knew by just being there by the boy's side was what all the boy needed.

But it still amazes him how quickly the boy attached himself to him, but knowing deep inside that it shouldn't because who else would the boy run to if he was not the one with him now. Whether it was him or some one else from his team, the boy would probably be in the same position…on their shoulders, crying…and trusting that person just the same…because that person was there.

So really, it shouldn't astound him like it was doing now.

But the fact of the matter was that it _was _astounding him and he liked it…cherished it.

The boy was trusting him.

As Shin continued to cry on his shoulder, Kakashi looked down at the chain, it was wearing down but not as quickly as he would like it to go. If anything, he still had about an hour and a half to really be free of the chain, and then what would be his next plan?

It was the cuffs that contained the sealing inscription and he couldn't get them off of him unless he had a key to unlock the cuffs, but that was only left in the hands of the night watcher that watched them outside their building at nights and then to another person who would watch over the building in the morning and afternoon. Never was the watcher the same person, always someone different and Kakashi should know since he was the one always in the building, he was never let out, so he passed the time with listening to conversation outside the walls and observing through what he could see outside the window.

He just needed to come up with something that could get him those keys and then he could…

Something popped into his head suddenly, and quickly he glanced down at the boy who had stop crying and was now wiping away the tears.

Looking away, Kakashi thought on the idea some more.

_It could be risky, but it might just work_, he thought to himself and then glanced back down at the, now, quiet boy.

"Shin," Kakashi called to the young male.

Shin peered up at the man next to him, wiping away the last of his tears and waited for the ninja to continue.

"I need you to do something," Kakashi stated, leaning over to whisper into the boy's ear as he told him of his newly, formed plan.

---

Donsu paced the ground by the fire as he listened to what all Rye, Heru, and Tioshi had to complain about.

"I don't think the boy is who we think he is," Rye argued. "I mean, how long have we tried _your _way," he questioned Donsu, taunting him in a subliminal way, but the Earth ninja leader heard it and stopped his pacing altogether.

"Two days," was his direct reply, but the straining tone in which he used to answer the man was not gone unnoticed.

"Right," Rye added, "And still the boy shows no sign of holding the Uchiha's powers."

"Your point," Donsu provoked.

"You don't know what you're doing," was the man's answer and one that got Donsu's nerves to set on edge.

"I agree with Rye," Tioshi implied. "Experimenting with the boy's eyes shouldn't be the only thing to awaken the Uchiha powers," he finished as Donsu glared his attention his way.

"And how do you suggest we get the powers to awaken," Donsu questioned as he sat down on a stone, throne-like chair built especially for him. He figured if he kept standing then he would eventually attack the three men before him insulting him right in front of his face, but he really wouldn't want it any other way.

"Well," Heru started as, he too, sat down, but on a log that laid near the fire in front of him. " I heard that the Sharingan works as a defense mechanism. It obvious that the boy should feel some kind of threat or provocation when wanting to awaken the eyes."  
"And you think that replicating a kunai aiming to stab the boy's eyes or beating the boy isn't threatening or provoking enough?"

"Well, obviously the boy hadn't acquire the Sharingan so, yeah, I think it is not enough," Heru answered, crossing his arms over his chest and peering at Donsu directly in the eyes.

"So. What . Do. You. Suggest," Donsu could hear his voice strain once again as he listened to each and every one of their points, but it doesn't mean he would take their way of explaining it to him likely.

Silence settled over them as Heru thought, as Donsu waited, and as Tioshi stood between the two men looking between both of them for someone to break the soundlessness.

"I think he needs some kind of emotional persuasion," was Heru's answer.

Donsu just stared at him to continue.

"What my friend is trying to point out is that an emotional impact is in order," Tioshi explained. "The boy needs not a threat to his own life, but one that threaten the lives of others who have an emotional impact in his life, for example, the boy's family."

Donsu looked confused, "I don't get it…how is that not the same thing. The boy's life is precious to him, therefore a threat towards it, should have the same emotional influence as that of a threat to someone closest to him."

Tioshi smirked before replying, "We are all well-trained shinobis aren't we not, Donsu?"

"Yes," Donsu answered quickly, feeling like his self-importance was being questioned and insulted.

"Well I'm not," Rye stated, but he was ignored by both parties.

"And, well, we should all know how chakra works, am I right," Tioshi continued.

"What are you getting at," Donsu practically yelled.

"Chakra has to be built in order to do many jutsus and add stamina to every shinobis' ability, right?"

Donsu just groaned impatiently.

"The boy doesn't have an immense amount of chakra in him to get the eyes working, let alone to awaken them," Tioshi explained. "But we did hear through the rumor mill that the boy did catch a kunai knife in midair, at top speed, and while protecting his father, yes?"

Donsu flinched, he was hoping that, that little information wouldn't get out to their "guests'" ears…he would have to speak with Taro after this, punishment might have to be given…the idiot.

"Both of which was an emotional threat and a threat to someone dear to the boy, emphasizing our point that an emotional impact might be the better choice in awakening the Uchiha powers," Tioshi finished.

"I see," Donsu stated. He understood it now, although he didn't like it…it wasn't his plan…but he did grasp the concept. "Well," he began, "I guess we should try out that theory then."

Donsu then stood from his throne-like chair and headed in the direction of his trusted right-hand man's quarters to give him a stern talking to about keeping secrets within the premises of Earth ninjas' knowledge and not anywhere near enemy ears. Then, afterwards, that's when he would give orders to try out this new theory and then, maybe, his other plan would be taken into action.

---

Sakura, Naruto, and Sai were all pulling at their cuffs and chains wearing down the chain that connected their wrists and ankles.

From the looks of it, they would be free in about an hour or two, considering that they been working on this since they've been in this small building with the couple.

"Don't worry, Mr. and Mrs. Unomi," Naruto grunted as he continued to pull and rub the chain links together. "Soon we'll be free and we'll get out here."

Ayame watched the three young ninjas as her husband peered out the small window and looked out for incoming Earth ninjas.

All he could see were trees and some light up ahead, indicating that they were near the camp just some yards away from it. He wonders if that's where his son and other ninja was held, he just hoped that they were doing okay and were safe.

"Please hurry," Ayame pleaded.

"We are," Sakura answered. "Just give us a little more time."

Ayame nodded and then stood to stand behind her husband. From behind, she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him soulfully.

"I hope he's alright," she whispered to him.

Kiyoshi placed a hand over his wife's and brought one up towards his lips to kiss it tenderly.

"He is, Ayame," he assured her. "I know he is."

---

Shin sat before the white-haired ninja as he watch him struggle with breaking free of his restraints.

"Once I get these free then we will begin, okay," Kakashi instructed, talking about their plan.

Shin silently nodded his head in agreement, but felt terribly afraid in actually participating in a risky and dangerous plan.

At first, he didn't like it, seeing as how he would have to lure a Earth ninja into the building on his own…he still hadn't come up with an idea as to how he would persuade a ninja into the building, but Kakashi had told him all he would need was a small scream just to add attention to himself. After that, the ninja had told him that the rest would be up to him, end of story…end of plan.

But all the same, Shin was nervous and unsure of the certainty of the idea…if it would work or if Kakashi would ever get free from his chains to actually finish off the plan…he just hoped.

Wanting to occupy himself, Shin stood up and walked over towards the door and stepped on his tiptoes to look out the small window. From what he could see, it was dark out and many of the Earth ninjas and other dwellers were scattered about the open wooded area, surrounding the campfire as the night's chill settled in.

Looking over to the side of the building, Shin noticed a man standing watch.

_He must be the guy I would have to lure into the building_, Shin thought to himself as he backed away from the window to settle back in front of the white-haired shinobi.

He sighed as it looks as though the chain didn't wear down an inch since he last saw it.

Looking up at the ninja, he could see the built up of sweat forming above the man's brow and a well concentrated look adorned his features.

_At least he's trying_, Shin thought. And that little thought only had him feeling somewhat hopeful that this plan would work.

Suddenly, the door was harshly swung opened and two Earth ninjas rushed inside. The unexpectedness had Shin turning and backing away against the wall right next to Kakashi.

Kakashi was also startled by the door being opened and was literally caught off guard when a swarm of ninjas came into the room. The majority of them piled onto him while the rest, grabbed at the boy and carried him out of the building.

Kakashi could hear his cries all the way out the door and when they closed afterwards, it left him alone in the room and cursing.

"Damn," Kakashi blurted. "This is not good."

He quickly started back at his task of freeing himself, pulling at the chains extra hard and exerting extra friction to try and get the erosion to happen quicker.

"Damn," he said as he pulled harder, in a hurry. "DAMN."

---

Shin struggled against the men's holds on his arms and legs as they brought him to the center of a circle formed by men who surrounded the campfire. He was thrown in the middle, just inches from actually colliding with the fire itself, but he quickly rolled out of the way, avoiding it just in time before he got burned.

The men seem to be in an uproar, pushing against each other just so they could get a good look at the scene before them.

Shin just made sure he kept some distance between them and himself, not sure what was to happen at the moment.

Soon, there was a scream somewhere in the distance. It got louder and much clearer as it continued and then the men were parting ways, making a path for a struggling man and woman who were later thrown into the circle, right next to Shin and the fire.

Shin gasped as he saw that it was his parents. He ran to embrace them but a hand grabbed him from behind, holding him still as another pair did the same to his parents, separating them.

The uproar got louder as the persons in the center struggled against their captors. The man of the struggling three, Kiyoshi, cursed and actually fought against his own captor to get to his family.

But, suddenly the uproar soon ceased as a group from the right parted ways to let in their leader and his accomplices through.

Silence took over as Donsu and company looked upon the scene of the boy and his family.

Giving a quick nod, Donsu silently ordered for the boy to be release.

Shin was pushed to the ground, falling onto his hands and knees as his parents were done in the same manner, the only difference was that his parents were continuously being held, their arms painfully pinned behind their backs by their captors, bringing them upright onto their knees to face their son.

Donsu stood in between the family, separating any attempts for them to try and reach the other family member…in this case, keeping the boy from reaching his family.

In a rush, Donsu was over Shin, grabbing a hand full of his hair and lifting him up on his knees. He then leaned over so he could reach the boy's left ear, "I want you to watch this," he whispered. And then he backhanded Shin across his right cheek, sending the boy to the ground once again and whimpering in pain.

Kiyoshi struggled then, Ayame cried, tears rolling rivers down her soft face as they watch their son slowly trying to pick his self up, but only to be kicked back down and stayed there as his captor pinned him to the ground with a knee in the middle of his small back.

"Please," Ayame cried. "He's just a boy."

Some of the men surrounding the scene laughed as Donsu just ignored her and pulled out a kunai knife from his holster.

It then became silent again as the Earth ninja leader moved behind the couple, his men holding them down, releasing them but neither, man or woman, moved for fear that they would be stabbed instantly.

"Lift him," Donsu ordered.

Doing as he was told, the ninja lifted the boy off the ground and onto his knees, putting him in a chokehold to keep him still and watching.

Shin braced his hands around the man's arm so it wouldn't squeeze around his neck, but as he looked forwards he began to cry for fear that his parents were going to be killed right there before his very eyes.

Donsu placed the kunai in front of Ayame's neck, letting its blade touch her neck and nothing further.

"NOOOOO," Shin yelled, pulling at his captor's hold.

"Then show me the eyes and I won't have to kill her," Donsu yelled back, getting straight to the point.

Shin instantly stopped his struggling and stared wide eyes at the Earth ninja leader.

"W-What," he asked.

"Show. Me. The. Eyes. And she won't die," Donsu pulled at the back of Ayame's hair, exposing her neck more.

"I-I…" Shin fumbled for words.

"**SHOW ME**," Donsu demanded and just a small prick made itself upon Ayame's neck, a small cut that trickled a small drip of blood to roll down her neck.

"**I CAN'T**," Shin yelled back. "I can't…I don't have them…please."

"That's not what I want to hear," Donsu stated and veered the kunai around Ayame's neck, ready to slice it through and through.

"**NO**…**WAIT**…Please," Shin cried. "I'll show you, just…please…don't kill her…please."

He didn't know what he was thinking, what was he doing? He didn't have the eyes they were talking about, but he didn't want his mother to be killed.

He was panicking and he just blurted out the first thing that popped into his head and out of his mouth, but it was a mistake and now he needed to think of something before they caught on to his bluff.

Acting quickly, he closed his eyes and pretended to be concentrating on something deep within himself.

After a while he thought his plan would work, at least, buy him some more time to think of something, but he guessed wrong when the Earth leader's patience worn thin.

Before Shin knew what was happening, he was slapped once again across the face and thrown to the ground. Shortly afterwards, he was picked up again by the hair and was face to face with Donsu and his raging eyes.

"I don't have time for your games, boy," he spat. "Either show me your eyes or they both die."

Shin looked towards his parents and shuddered. He couldn't think of anything…he couldn't save them.

Alone, he was helpless…complete and utterly helpless.

He drop his gaze from them and face the man before him, "I can't…I can't make them appear," he began to cry. "I don't have them, I'm not who you think I am."

Donsu leaned away from the boy, but still had a tight grip on Shin's hair.

"Well then," he sighed disapprovingly. "I guess that doesn't help your parents, does it?"

Lowing his head out of shame, Shin shook his head no and let the tears fall from his eyes.

"Then say your good-byes now, because it would be the last time you'll see them alive, boy," and with that said, Donsu lifted his kunai and send it sailing through the air.

Shin, tightly, shut his eyes, not wanting to see the fatal outcome of his failure at protecting his family.

But what he heard next, snapped his eyes open immediately. The people around him gasped and there was no sound of an agonizing scream of someone losing their lives.

Instead, there was only silence and a tension that developed quickly and steadily.

Tioshi had caught the knife before it came anywhere near his head, barely catching it on time that ended it with him catching the blade of the knife and leaving the pointy tip pricking his forehead.

Releasing it, he let it dropped to the ground and glared up at the thrower with deadly intentions. His partner, Heru, was right at his side, giving out the same glare at the perpetrator.

Donsu release his hold on the boy and pushed him back into the hold of one of his men who put Shin into a chokehold again.

"I hope your aiming was off, Donsu, because it looks to me that that kunai was deliberately aiming for my head," Tioshi questioned.

Donsu crossed his arms and smirked, "You know, Tioshi, I was meaning to tell you that the Earth country doesn't like to share. It's not part of our virtue."

"I see," Tioshi stated, his glare never leaving, but his stance became threatening. "And I guess you forgot to mention that Earth country is also a traitor…a backstabber."

"I didn't say we were perfect, but, I won't deny the accusations."

Donsu then turned to look at Rye who had his five men standing securely beside him, "That goes for you too, Rye," he inquired upon the man who frowned.

"So it's like that, I see," Rye replied. "I figured it would come to this, I just wished that it came to a more opportune time, like when I had the boy and on my way to big money, but I guess we were all selfish in that aspect."

"Something I finally agree on," Donsu teased and smirked. "But the truth was…I was just tired of looking at your sorry faces all day. It's time we end this little charade and end this now."

"Oh, let's, Donsu, let's," Tioshi agreed preparing for the right moment to charge, but it was Rye who made the first move.

He ordered one of his men to pound a giant hole into the ground which shook everyone off balance and covered their visions with a cloud of smoke.

The fight between the three parties took place afterwards, the Earth ninjas easily out numbering the others, but with the speed and tactical skills of both, Heru and Tioshi, they were completely untouchable. And for Rye and his men, nothing touched them because they were steel protected and with them came strength of a hundred men put together, so the Earth ninjas found that they had a tough battle ahead of them.

Seeing that the men were distracted and even the guy holding him seem to be in a trance at what was going on around him, Shin took the opportunity and bit into the man's arm, causing his release as the man pulled away.

Shin then push the guy into the midst of the battle that surrounded them and ran towards his mother and father who was struggling against their own captors' holds.

He watched as his father got to his feet and sucker punch one of the guys in the stomach and then gave a side punch into his jaw, sending the guy backwards and into the flaming fire next to him.

Kiyoshi then helped his wife with her captor by kicking the man in the groin area, immobilizing the man instantaneously.

Free, Ayame ran towards her son just as he was doing the same thing towards her. They stayed like that for only a second before Shin remember about Kakashi and pulled away.

"We have to go," he yelled at them over the battle noises that continued around them.

Grabbing a hold of his mother's hand, he guided them through the chaos towards the building that he was kept in for two days.

Shin and his family crammed pass combating bodies, some tried grabbing at them to stop them, but they were either pushed back into a fight or stopped by another enemy individual who tried the same thing but only had the same results happen to them.

Finally, Shin made it to the building he knew Kakashi would be stationed at, but there was no guard with a key to free him out of the building and chain.

He quickly turned around to look for the watcher, only to find him lying dead on the ground some yards away.

His parents were looking around the building for something to open the door with, but with one little "I'll be back," Shin ran off towards the prone body and kneeled beside it.

He was hesitant at first, he never touched a dead body before, but seeing as this was their only way of escaping, he reached with a shaky hand and searched the body for the keys. Finding them in the man's right back pocket, Shin grabbed them and ran quickly back towards the stone prison.

Unlocking the door, he ran inside to find Kakashi had already broke free from the chain linking his wrists and ankles and was just waiting patiently, but worriedly (Shin saw it in his expose eye) for the boy's safe return.

Shin unlocked the cuffs from both Kakashi's wrists and ankles and stood, waiting…waiting for the next step to unfold itself, because, really, after everything that has happened so far, Shin was about ready to pass out…not to mention he was scared, his heart pounded rapidly within his chest that it almost hurt. He doesn't want to do that again, whether willingly or not…it was just too much.

Kakashi rubbed at his sore wrists for awhile and looked at the boy and his family. He had heard everything that had went on outside, and he would secretly admit that he was worried for awhile, and once he heard the battle, he became even worrisome. It wasn't until he saw a tuff of black hair did he finally relaxed and breathed a little easier.

"You did good, Shin," Kakashi praised the boy, ruffling his hair and then turning serious right after.

"Now, we need to find the others and get out of here."

The family nodded in agreement.

"We can take you to them," Mr. Unomi stated as he was already making his way out the door, but before he could take one step outside, Kakashi had grabbed him by the left elbow, ceasing his movement.

"We need to be careful," Kakashi warned. "They may be distracted now, but that doesn't mean that they've forgotten about us. They're just busy at the moment and time."

Kiyoshi nodded his head and when Kakashi let him go, they followed quietly and discreetly behind him as he led the way to the other building that held the rest of their fellow companions.

Releasing the three, young ninjas of their cuffs, they quickly scurried up into the trees, not looking back as the battle that continued on behind them.

---

Daybreak and they were still leaping from trees.

They did not rest nor did they stop for water, they were making this escape count and nothing was going to stop them.

Shin was on Kakashi's back, while the two, young male ninjas carried the rest of the Unomis on theirs, Sakura brought up the rear, but concern crept its way on all their faces as they got closer to the border.

They could see it now.

It was true that they escape unnoticed by the Earth ninjas and the others, but it didn't mean that they weren't being followed by the group.

Yes, they were miles behind them, but as of past events has led them to believe, there were no easy way out and it could be a distraction to lead them on and to get their hopes up…so they pushed harder to go faster just in case there was an attack coming, at least they would be pass the border and on familiar territory.

Suddenly, Kakashi stopped moving, landing on a tree's branch and instructing his team to keep going.

They only had time to give their regards before they passed him and disappeared among the trees that surrounded them.

Kakashi watched them for awhile before he jumped and landed on the ground's floor, sliding Shin off his back and slicing his thumb. He did a few hand signs before he slammed his hand on the ground, summoning his prize possession of ninja dogs.

Shin watched in awe as the cloud of smoke disappeared, revealing eight dogs, all of which coming in different sizes and breed.

"Yo," a small pug spoke on top of the biggest dog out of the bunch, looking lazy and relaxed.

"If I had time to chit-chat Pakkun, I would, but at the moment I only have time for orders," Kakashi replied as he took something from his pocket and put it into Pakkun's mouth.

…a letter.

"Take this to the Hokage as fast as you can, everything that she needs to know is in it, also asked that she sends some help over at the West gate, we'll be having some unwanted guest soon."

Pakkun nodded his head, saying a muffled "roger" before flickering off to accomplish his task.

Kakashi bent down at the knee in front of the rest of his dogs, patting each one on the heads.  
"Okay, boys…I need you guys to do a very important thing for me," he rubbed one on the head, it wore dark sunglasses. "You see that boy over there," Kakashi leaned his head towards Shin's way and the seven dogs barked to answer their master. "I'm going to need you guys to get him to Konoha as quickly and as safely as you can…protect him. Am I clear?"

The dogs bark loudly.

"Good." Kakashi turned towards Shin, stood up, and motioned for him to come near.

Shin did as he was instructed and stood by Kakashi's side.

"You're going to ride on his back," Kakashi pointed to the big, dark brown one in the back that look like a bull dog. The dog seem to understand completely what his master wanted him to do because he quickly laid down on the ground and waited for Shin to climb on.

"Here," Kakashi handed the boy a kunai knife. "Use it only when you have to, but you shouldn't worry, because they will protect you."

Shin looked over the other dogs, seeing as they stood ready and waiting.

"But what about you and the others," Shin asked moving towards the big dog, but not grabbing the knife. If he was going to be protected by the dogs then why should he take the knife? Plus, he was kind of scared of the thing, too many bad experience with the sharp tool for him to find any comfort with the weapon.

"Don't worry, I'm sure your family and the others has already reached Konoha and are at the gate as we speak, but my concern right now is making sure that you get to Konoha no matter what and out of harm's way," Kakashi answered, placing the kunai in the loop of Shin's pants and helping him climb onto the back of the dog instructed to carry him.

"Grab on to his collar and keep your legs tight around him," Kakashi commanded. "Don't worry you won't hurt him."

And before Shin could say anything else, the dog was off and running at top speed.

Kakashi watched them go, before he leaped back up into the trees and headed towards Konoha. His plan was to have a safe way for both his team, the couple, and boy to get to Konoha. If anything should happen, at least he would know that they were safe and that his mission was complete…he kept his promise.

Glancing behind him, he spotted the first Earth ninja leaping some yards behind him. Quickly turning around he eliminated him in an instant as he turned back in the direction of Fire Country.

_Others are coming and fast_, he thought to himself. He picked up speed, hoping to put more distance between himself and the incoming enemy ninjas, but it only encourage them to do the same thing and close in the gap between them.

Sighing, Kakashi turned around to fight them off, he just hope backup was on their way soon.

---

They had finally reached the border and were just yards away from reaching the West gate. Leaping faster, they hurried their steps to get there as soon as possible. They figured once they get the family safe, then they could go back and help their sensei.

As the large gate came into view, that's when they jumped from the trees and onto the ground, running the rest of the way by foot, but as they were just some feet away from the gate, that's when they were ambushed by hidden Earth ninjas. They bust from the ground and materialized from the rocks and trees that surround the west entrance, surrounding the three ninjas and the family, and blocking their way to the village.

Doing as every shinobi were required to do, Team 7 protected the innocence as they shielded them from the incoming attacks that were being given to them.

But as the attack got closer and was pushing the three ninjas into a tight squeeze, that's when they knew they had to separate or risk getting killed.

Sakura grabbed both, woman and man, and flipped them out of harm's way, her teammates doing the same, as she place the couple close to the path towards the entrance before running back towards her teammates to help out.

"Get to the gate," she yelled back at the couple before disappearing among the battle her partners were currently fighting in.

Ayame and Kiyoshi ran as fast as they could until they finally reached the gate. They knocked hard on the giant doors, pounding on it and kicking it with their feet.

"Open up," Kiyoshi yelled. "We need help."

Soon they heard latches being unlock and the door started to crack open.

For the moment, it was the most breathtaking moment in both Kiyoshi and Ayame's lives.

Help was on its way.

---

Shin held on tightly as he shield his face from the wind. Every now and again he would glance back to see if the ninja was behind him, but all he saw were trees and he was starting to worry…like always.

"Please be alright," he whispered to himself. "Please be alright."

Suddenly, the dog carrying him jerked to a stop. The sudden action had Shin flying off the dog's back and hitting the ground hard only to slide to a stop near a tree.

Shaking his head of the dizzy spell that came upon him, he looked up at the dog, finding that it was slowly being wrapped up in vines that were coming from the ground and twisting its way all over the poor dog…squeezing the life out of him.

It whined and it struggled against the unforgiving vines, until, finally, it exploded into smoke, disappearing and vanishing.

Shin climbed onto his feet, looking around his surroundings as he watched for something to happen.

The trees blew with the wind, swaying from side to side, but other than that, nothing or no one appeared.

Shin pulled out the kunai Kakashi had given him, shakily pointing it in every direction that he heard something move or cross his vision.

It wasn't until he looked somewhere to his right that he was attack from his left. The kunai was knocked from his hand and tumbled to the ground. He was then punched in the stomach and punched in the jaw, sending him falling backwards and onto his back.

The person who had attack then climbed over the boy's body, giving Shin a perfect view of his face and rage.

Donsu towered him, his face scarred with bruises and cuts from his recent battle back at camp. He lost a lot of men back there, and he blames no one but the boy.

Wrapping his hands around Shin's neck, he squeezed hard, laughing hysterically when the boy started struggling to break free.

"I wish Kakashi was here to see this," Donsu said, sound manic and crazy. "I wish I can see his face as I squeeze the last breath out of you."

Shin eyes widen as he pulled at the hands around his neck, he even started punching at the man's arms, hoping it would set him free, but the man only laughed in his face, squeezing even harder and ruthlessly.

As he felt his chest tighten and his body started requesting oxygen, Shin started reaching for anything he could use to get the man off of him. His hands reached for sticks, rocks, and leaves, all of which had no affect on the crazed man when Shin use them to clobber, stab, or throw into the man's eyes…they weren't good enough.

But suddenly, his hand finally reached for something hard and cool.

…the kunai.

Finding its handle, Shin brought it up and sliced the man across his forearm.

The man flinched but his grip didn't relinquish.

Shin tried again, but this time he let the knife dig deeper into the skin, hitting bone.

A strained groan and the man closed his eyes from the pain but his grip still did not give.

Shin could feel his life going, his body starving for that deprived oxygen that it desperately needed, only to be blocked by strong hands that would not give.

Having no other choice, Shin twist the knife around in his hand so it could be in a better fit for him to stab the guy above him. He brought his arm back and when he brought it back forwarded, he shut his eyes and stabbed at the first thing that his arm led him to.

In Donsu's left eye.

He was immediately release, Donsu stumbling off of him, standing, covering his hands over his injured eye as blood oozed out from between his fingers.

He yelled and screamed, cursing as he blindly fell to the ground, leaning into the dirt. With time, he forced his mind to tolerate the pain just for a second so he could kill the boy.

Shin was still on the ground filling his lungs with much needed air, he rolled onto his side trying to find the easiest way to get his lungs filled. He kept the kunai in his hand though, hearing as the Earth ninja leader had now become quiet near him.

Looking behind him, Shin saw the man standing, his left eye closed, but his good eye glared intensely at him with deadly promises.

Shin quickly got up then, still breathing heavily, and held the knife forward as he backed away.

"Stay away," he wheezed out, his hand holding onto the kunai knife shaking tremendously.

Donsu only continued to walk forward, paying no mind that the boy had a kunai in his hand, which already disabled him once. He continued to walk forward until he was just inches away from the tip of the kunai. He let it poke him in the chest, drawing blood to seep through his uniform shirt as he continued to advanced.

To say the least, Shin was shock, but he backed up anyway pressing the knife forward and two inch deeper into the man's chest.

He only made a mistake when he shut his eyes to keep from looking at he blood building on the man's shirt.

Donsu took the opportunity and grabbed the boy's wrists, twisting it at an angle that had Shin dropping the knife immediately.

Bending down to pick up the weapon, Donsu grabbed its handle and raised it above his head.

"Die you Uchiha," he yelled, but before he brought the kunai knife down and upon the boy, a white dog appeared out of nowhere and bit down the hand that gripped the knife. Soon afterwards, another dog appeared and bit at Donsu's other hand and then another came and grabbed at his ankle, another one doing the same. One more came up and grabbed at his shirt in the front, pulling on it and bringing Donsu down onto his knees. The ones at each limbs grinded their teeth into and through the man's skin, drawing blood and chewed flesh.

Soon after, chirping sound was heard in the distance and Donsu glanced over his shoulders and behind him. In the darkest part of the trees he could see a pale-bluish light nearing. The chirping sound got louder as the light became brighter and more pronounced, and with that light came Kakashi.

Kakashi ran forward, bracing his right arm as sparks and lightening pitter-patter around his hand.

As he got closer, he began to raise that arm, extending it out and in front of him, aimed ready for that fatal blow that would end Donsu's life.

"Shin, get out of the way," Kakashi yelled, thrusting his right arm back and bringing it back forward again to give the weapon a better push into the man's body.

Shin was running and out of the way by the time Kakashi hand met Donsu's back and pushed its way out of the front, blood and entrails splattering everywhere. The five ninja dogs disappeared so afterwards, leaving almost a eerie finish to the deadly blow.

By the time the lightening-blade had died out, Donsu was already dead.

Kakashi push him off his arm and let the body fall limply to the ground.

"Kakashi," Shin hesitated, after seeing Kakashi kill a guy so gruesomely, it was kind of hard for him to wrap his fragile mind off the scene and walk towards the tired ninja.

There was silence around them, both from shock and relief.

"Are you okay," Kakashi spoke without turning to face the boy. He didn't want him to see his bloodied arm, knowing from hearing the boy's shaky voice earlier that the boy was now looking at him in a new way…maybe a fearful one…Kakashi hoped not.

Risking a look, Kakashi chanced a glance at the boy and saw not fear nor disgust written on the boy's face, but relief and contentment. A sight that had Kakashi thinking that everything would be okay and sigh his own reprieve then.

"Come on, let's get you to that gate," Kakashi replied with a heavy sigh and revealed a small smile with his expose eye.

Shin nodded his head in agreement, hurriedly following beside the ninja as the last two dogs appeared behind them and then scurried off somewhere in the trees.

---

Sakura, Sai, and Naruto were holding up their own until helped arrived. Jonins and Chunins jumped from the opened gate leaping into the battle with no hesitation.

Now that there were equal numbers, the battle continued with both side showing no signs of surrendering, at least, that's what the scene Kakashi and Shin stumbled upon.

Ninjas were everywhere, leaping in the air, kunais colliding, leaving sparks to litter the smoky battlefield, but behind the midst of the commotion, Kakashi knew that the gate stood straight ahead, it was the matter of getting Shin there quickly and safely.

Picking up the boy and maneuvering him onto his back, Kakashi told him to "hold on" before he leaped forward.

Instantly, they were caught up in the big battle, dodging flying projectiles, moving out of the way of combating ninjas, making dust rise and fall everywhere around them. It was really hard for anyone to see, but Kakashi was determined. He pivoted out of every danger zone, forced his way through active jutsus and blocking every striking limbs that came his way. It was surprising that when they made it out of the hazardous part of the battle that neither one of them got hurt, not even Shin bared any cuts or bruises and he was left vulnerable on Kakashi's back throughout the whole ordeal.

When the gate was visible, Kakashi dropped Shin onto his feet and pushed him forward towards it.

"I'm sure you're family is waiting for you on the other side," Kakashi hurriedly stated.

Shin turned around to look at Kakashi and for the first time, he smiled at the man.

Kakashi smiled back before he instructed for Shin to hurry up and go on ahead.

Doing as he was told, Shin ran towards the open gate, but stopped just short of it to turn back around, seeing Kakashi still standing there watching him to make sure that he made it through.

Unbeknownst to the two, two Earth ninjas sat up in the trees, hidden from view as they waited for this moment. They had orders to make sure that the boy didn't make it anywhere near or inside the gates of Konoha and if he did, they were to eliminate him quickly. Their choice of weapon were four darts and a blow tube. In those darts were poison, conjured up to kill anyone on target, and right now, it was the boy's life that had his name written on all four darts.

The four darts were loaded and the ninja with the blow tube blew all weapons at the boy. They shot out of the tube fast and at the perfect angle to aim at the boy's neck and chest.

At first, Kakashi thought the boy would be safe, he was at the gate, the battle was behind him and everyone looked too occupied to even try to harm the boy…in others words he let his guard down, and it proved to be a big mistake on his part when he heard the whistling sound before seeing the small darts heading in the boy's general direction.

And Kakashi didn't even think as he ran forward, flickering in front of the boy and using his body as a human shield.

He felt each dart as they stabbed into his back, instantly releasing whatever content it had into his system.

Kakashi fell forwards bringing the boy down with him as they both hit the ground.

Kakashi kept himself up on his hands and knees and then peered over towards where the darts had appeared from. The two ninjas quickly flickered away, but the damage was already done and Kakashi couldn't move his body.

A burning sensation traveled from his back and throughout his body every time his heart pumped. It felt like tiny fire ants were crawling deep inside him and were eating at his chest, mostly his heart.

"Ahhhh," he screamed as a sharp excruciating pain stabbed at his chest and then into his lung, the poison working fast.

Shin didn't know what happened, one minute he was looking at the ninja, the next he was being pushed down by him. Now as he look up into the man's face, all he saw was pain…and that scream…Shin doesn't think he's every heard a scream worst than that.

"Kakashi," his voice whispered the man's name and trembled.

"Ahhhhhh," was his answer from the man and he started turning pale.

Shin watched the color drained from the man's face and sat up, he looked over the ninja's shoulders and saw four pointing sticks sticking out of his back…_he protected me_, Shin thought.

He quickly grabbed at the four darts and yanked them out of Kakashi's back, bringing his self back down to peer up at the man.

"Kakashi…Kakashi," Shin found his voice panicking as he grabbed at the man's shirt. "What's happening…are you okay."

The man above him groaned and fell onto his back, his body convulsing, jerking awfully off the ground and slamming back down again.

He doesn't seem to have heard him, because before then, he let out another heart wrenching scream, one that hurt Shin's ears.

"Is that the boy," Shin heard a voice behind him say, but he couldn't take his eyes off the Kakashi's painful expression and his screams, they got louder and more horrifying…he wanted them to stop…he wanted to do something.

Shin reached over and sprawled half of his body over Kakashi's body, trying to keep him from convulsing and jerking, but it seem his body wasn't heavy enough.

A pull was tugged at his arm but his just jerked away from the unknown grip and wrapped his arms tightly around Kakashi's body as though he was hugging the man.

"Get him out of here," another voice heard but ignored by Shin as he could hear Kakashi's heart beating a mile and minute, almost too fast that it sounded almost like one solitary beat.

"Kakashi," Shin cried.

And just as suddenly as the name left from between his lips, Kakashi's body did a final spasm before it ceased all movements. His heart did one final thump before it became silent by Shin's ears.

And before Shin could comprehend the final outcome of the situation, he was wrenched from above Kakashi's body and lifted off the ground.

"Hurry get him inside the gate, now," a voice finally registered through Shin's ears and the first thing Shin did was panic.

"**No**," he yelled, trying to fight off the person who held him and carried him through the gate. "**Let me go**."

He broke free of his possessor's hold and turned around to leave out the gate, but found that he was too far from the gate and it was now closing.

He ran…he ran so hard and so hastily that he swore that he was going to make it…be at Kakashi's side again…but he was knock to the ground, someone's arms were wrapped around his legs and he couldn't break free.

He watched as the gate's opening grew smaller and thinner and he was left with seeing only a small part of Kakashi's body, the battle that continued around the man's body was ignored by Shin…he only saw Kakashi.

And as the small sliver of the gate's doors finally sealed, Shin felt his heart pull and pained for not making it on time…Kakashi was dead and it was his fault.

"**NOOOOO**," he yelled, slamming his head onto the ground and cried dejectedly.

It was his fault…it was his entire fault that this had happened…how could he live with his self.

_How_, he questioned.

How…

No answer came, only pain and regret.

…only pain and regret.

* * *

AN: Wow, long huh? It took me forever to write this and the sole reason why I haven't updated so quickly was because I didn't have the inspiration like I use to when I started this story and my other ones. It took a lot to get it back, but now I got it back, so expect faster updates. Probably one story per week...like I'll update on this one week and then another one the next. It'll keep me focus and I won't have to cram so much trying to finish two stories at once. 

So tell me, how was it, and please take into account that this was written when I got my muse back for this story, so it may seem a little rusty and a little off. But hit me up some reviews and I'll know how I did...please and thank you.


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